Minutes:
Kate Kelly-Talbot, Assistant Director – Adult Social Care, addressed the Committee. Members were informed that the majority of mental health services in Hillingdon were provided by CNWL Mental Health Trust. These included the community mental health teams, primary care mental health teams that supported GPs, talking therapies, crisis and treatment teams, a psychiatric liaison team in A&E and early intervention services.
Members were advised that the Council’s role was to recognise the existence of these services and refer / direct residents to them. The Council was not involved in the commissioning or direct service delivery of these services. However, it had some responsibility through its overarching safeguarding responsibilities for core services in the Borough. In terms of statutory social work, the Committee was advised that, since the disaggregation of the integrated community mental health teams, people with mental health issues would be subject to the same legislation as any other resident in terms of statutory social work services (the Care Act and Mental Capacity Act).
In terms of statutory services, one distinctive area was around AMP – the Approved Mental Health Practitioner Service. Members were advised that this was a Council statutory function provided by a specialist social worker team who undertook Mental Health Act assessments. In terms of social care services delivered by the Council, some specialist supported living services were available to those with severe mental illness. A floating support service was also offered to help maintain people in tenancies. A range of voluntary sector support was provided through the Council including social inclusion, peer support, welfare benefit advice, advocacy services and dementia services.
Kevin Byrne, Head of Health Integration & Voluntary Sector Partnerships, provided the Committee with an update in relation to Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services in Hillingdon (CAMHS). Members were informed that mental health services related largely to services commissioned by external partners; CAMHS was commissioned by the CCG at present through CNWL NHS Trust.
It had previously been a matter of considerable concern that young people in the Borough had been waiting too long to receive the support they needed from CAMHS; the target of 85% of young people to receive support within 18 weeks had not been met by CNWL for a long time. However, the Committee was informed that, for the last year or so, targets had been met. The local authority had worked alongside the CCG and other partners to look closely at supporting structures to prevent people from needing the services offered by CNWL. A Local Transformation Plan, agreed by the Health & Wellbeing Board, had been introduced and early intervention services had been focussed on. The local authority had commissioned three services through public health funding: KISS (sexual health services), the Link Service (early counselling) and Sorted (addiction management). These services were embedded within youth services based at Fountains Mill. In collaboration with the CCG, a service called Kooth had been launched some two years ago to provide young people with online support and access to Counselling. This had been very successful in reaching young people who had not been engaged previously, particularly those from BAME backgrounds. This was a very popular service; approximately 650 people had accessed it for advice and support in the last quarter.
Members were informed that the Council now had a much more structured and multi-disciplined way of reviewing and addressing the mental health needs of young people in the Borough. The Council had worked closely with the voluntary sector, particularly P3, to launch this early intervention project. P3 had been targeting the areas of greatest need in the Borough – Yiewsley and West Drayton and Hayes and Harlington. Young people had been informed of other referral routes available to them besides CAMHS including HACS, the Centre for ADHD and ASD and alcohol addiction services. Officers were more confident than they had been in the past that young people were being supported and directed appropriately. It was confirmed that the Health & Wellbeing Board would receive a report on 1 December 2020 to explain what had been happening during the Covid period and to set out the plan for the future. It was noted that mental health services in Hillingdon had seen a large increase in demand over the last few months.
Members welcomed the early intervention approach. In response to questions from the Committee, it was confirmed that the Council was working closely with schools to direct those young people in need to support to the agencies available to help them. This approach was working far better than it had in the past and had resulted in a reduction in demand on CAMHS. Oversight of the local development plan and its effectiveness in ensuring that young people receive the help they needed was the responsibility of the Borough's Health and Wellbeing Board. A fuller report could be commissioned from the CCG if required.
Members congratulated officers on their achievements, especially during the challenging Covid-19 period. It was noted that it had been a particularly difficult time for children and young people and Members requested clarification as to the early intervention signs in place to identify if there was an issue with a child or young person. It was confirmed that the early intervention project was up and running and referrals could come through schools to the central hub which would consider the options available. An up-to-date report was being prepared for the Health & Wellbeing Board to set out what had been happening over the last few months. It was agreed that this report would be brought to the POC once presented to the Health & Wellbeing Board in December.
RESOLVED: That the verbal update be noted.