Mental Health Forum For Cowal

Mental Health Service Redesign in Argyll & Bute
Clinical Service Options

Key Core Service Elements and Planning Assumptions:

The following is a list of the planning assumptions and key service elements. It lists the things that are seen as key issues that are absolute essentials to be addressed within any new service that is developed.

These have been developed from the various workshop discussions and the other aspects of Phase 1 of the redesign process plus the key national policies related to Mental Health including “With Inclusion in Mind” and “Delivering for Mental Health”.

•Services are to be as local to people’s communities as is safe & achievable
•A plan to move towards a 7 day a week community mental health service
•Related to the above some form of crisis response, ideally including home based treatment to both prevent admission and facilitate discharge
•Development of services at the different tiers of Mental Health need, such as promoting health & wellbeing, mild/moderate conditions (primary care) as well as for more severe (community mental health team)
•Development of psychological therapies service, (including both the “talking therapies” and creative therapies)
•All services, but specifically day support, to be focused on promoting independence and promoting integration
•A move away from mental health services being segregated from each other and other generic services. We need to have a service that ensures services are closely linked to promote joined up working, consistent service model and efficient use of resources
•A need to recognise and nurture the value of the generic services in our communities by having stronger links with them
•A need to consider the potential increased usage of the voluntary sector in general and specifically in relation to befriending and buddying schemes
•We require adequate support for both formal and informal carers
•Continuing development of service user involvement in service planning, service evaluation and delivery including discussion as to the potential role of peer support
•Community Mental Health Teams to be integrated with local authority and with a broad range of multi disciplinary membership and exploration of the potential role of peer support models
•A single point of access to the mental health services of both statutory organisations
•Recovery focus to be the basis of all services
•Access to specialist in-patient care when required
•A system and resources for staff training in both statutory training and clinical development
•Services for the Helensburgh and Lochside area must follow the same service model, principles and philosophy. However it is acknowledged that actual service delivery and pathways for in-patient care will be different from the other localities of Argyll & Bute. This is due to the current service level agreement with NHS Glasgow & Clyde and the more urban nature of that community
•Options do not include services specifically for:
o Addictions
o Learning Disability
o Dementia care (both continuing care and assessment)

•To continue to access out of area highly specialised in-patient services within the following groups:

o High and Medium Secure care (Carstairs and Rowanbank)
o Child and Adolescent Mental Health (Gartnavel and Yorkhill Hospitals)
o Perinatal care (Glasgow)