Meeting documents

Apologies were received from Kurt Moxley, Mandy Carey, Rachel Fryer, Pat Milner, Jackie Gough and three SUCO representatives.

Jackie Prosser chaired the meeting.

Of the meeting held on Thursday 2 October 2014 to be agreed as a correct record.

The minutes of the meeting held on Thursday 2 October 2014 were agreed as a correct record.

Matters arising

Item on access to Information and Communications/Support for people with mental health issues to be discussed at a future meeting

Members are asked to consider the following in preparation for this item –

(1)  What resources/support is currently available? – Jackie and Sam to bring what is available.  Debi to ask SUCO representatives to undertake 3 website searches and bring the results to the next meeting.

(2)  What does best practice look like?

(3)  What are the gaps in the current provision/service?

Action: Jackie Prosser/Sam Robinson/Debi Game & SUCO reps

Debi to speak to Dan Hussey at Bucks County Council and put him in touch with Sam Robinson at OHFT with regards to linking information and creating "one source".

Action: Debi Game

A verbal update will be provided as the final document has yet to be agreed by the Adult Joint Executive Team.

Debi confirmed that she had seen the draft strategy and had fed into the process.  She also confirmed that she had circulated it to SUCO representatives.

Jackie explained that the draft strategy had recived a positive response and it was going to the Joint Executive Team for agreement  in the next few weeks.

It was agreed that Debi would re-circulate the strategy to SUCO representatives and any further comments should be sent to Kurt Moxley.

Action: Debi Game

A discussion was then held around benefits and what support is available for people.  Jackie explained that Buckinghamshire has been part of a national pilot around accessing integrated psychological therapies.  Debi expressed concern that people were being told that if they do not access psychological therapies then their benefits will be stopped.  Jackie said that she is the Commissioner for Psychological Therapies and she confirmed that this is not the case.  Debi felt that there was some wrong information being given out around this.

Debi asked what the rationale is for co-locating services with Job Centres.  Jackie explained that the primary reason for doing it is facilitate better sharing of knowledge and understanding.

The Chairman welcomed Robin Thompson from the Citizens Advice Bureau (Chiltern).  Mr Thompson explained that he advises people with mental health issues and he strongly believes that the key benefits do not currently work.  He said that there is lots of paperwork associated with claiming benefits and the CAB volunteers spend a considerable amount of their time going through the paperwork with people.  He said that he would like to encourage people not to "bin" the paperwork but to seek help and advice at the outset.  The ultimate aim is for people to have enough money to live on.  There are certain descriptors which have to be satisfied in order for an application to be successful.  It can take up to 8 weeks to process an application which is too long.

Mr Thompson gave a brief synopsis of the appeal process and said that two doctors and a lawyer make up the panel.  Doctors will write letters in support of an application  but they need guidance in what are the main descriptors so that these can be fully considered in their letter.  Some GP surgeries have a CAB adviser available to help people.  He said that making help available on-line only can be very difficult for people who have mental health issues and dealing with someone face-to-face is far more beneficial.

Jackie explained that Richmond Fellowship receive funding from the CCG to help people complete forms through the IAPT service (Integrated and Psychological Therapies).

Debi said that people need specialist help with completing the forms and they also need a supportive letter from their GP.  She went on to say that if the voluntary sector is being asked to fulfil this, then more training is required for the volunteers and a mechanism to encourage more volunteers needs to be developed.  She acknowledged that this would require additional funding.

A  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

This will be a verbal update as this will not be ‘signed-off’ nationally until the end of March.  The update will be that the Declaration and Action Plan in relation to the Crisis Care Concordat have been uploaded onto the national website (www.crisiscareconcordat.org.uk) and will be available at the end of the month.

Sam Robinson, from Oxford Health Foundation Trust, explained that crisis can mean different things to different people and the project is around looking at the way services are delivered at the point of need.  Additional funding of £1m has been put into mental health resilience to enhance this service (A&E, 111 and 999 support).  The use of language is also being reviewed and the Urgent Care pathway is being looked at and a group of services are ensuring that the right service is being provided for those most in need.  The Whiteleaf Centre provides a place of safety for people with mental health issues and they are treated with the great dignity.

Community Services have received further investment and services have now been extended and include weekend support.

The Police and Ambulance Service are also very keen to engage in the project with the right response being available in the right place.

A Working Group has been looking at how best to get relevant feedback.  Debi Game said that SUCO can help to find people who can help with this once the engagement plan has been developed.

It was agreed that Sam would speak to Debi after the meeting and provide her with further details on the work of the Development Board and inform her of the future meetings.  Nominated SUCO representatives would then be invited to attend the Board meetings.  Sam agreed to meet with the nominated representatives prior to the next Board meeting (representatives would receive payment for their expenses in attending the meeting).

Action: Sam Robinson/Debi Game

Jackie agreed to circulate the Concordat plan and the Buckinghamshire Urgent Care flo-diagram to Members.

Action: Jackie Prosser

It was agreed to invite Steven Goldensmith to the next meeting in relation to Prevention Matters.

Action: Jackie Prosser/Kurt Moxley

This item was discussed earlier in the meeting.

Jackie Prosser will update Members.

Jackie started by saying that an item around "Access to GPs" has been discussed at the last Service Director meeting.  For a lot of people, their first contact is with their GP and a piece of work has been looking at how the CCGs are supporting GPs in Buckinghamshire to make "good" more often.  She said that people are talking more about mental health and GPs are joining in with the Healthy Minds project.  Staff are going into GP surgeries to deliver training to healthcare professional around mental health.

Debi said that SUCO links with Bucks New University in terms of their social work course and she said that she would be very happy to be involved in the wider training of the healthcare professionals.

It was agreed to look at ways of including service users and carers in the training for healthcare professionals.  Sam agreed to look at what is currently available and Jackie agreed to speak to Nicky Turner, who co-ordinates the CPD training for GPs in the Chilterns and Aylesbury Vale areas and also Rachel Fryer from Oxford Health Foundation Trust.

Jackie concluded by saying that there is a real push by the Clinical Commissioning Groups to invest in mental health services and she agreed to speak to Kurt to obtain an update on where the CCGs are in terms of their investments.

Action: Jackie Prosser/Kurt Moxley

The minutes of the last Executive Partnership Board are attached.

Members were asked to note the minutes from the last Executive Partnership Board meeting.

"No voice unheard, no right ignored" – a consultation for people with learning disabilities, autism and mental health conditions

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/409816/Document.pdf

Members were asked to note the "No voice unheard, no right ignored" current consultation.  A link was included in the agenda papers.

The next meeting is due to take place on Wednesday 20 May 2015 at 2pm at the Whiteleaf Centre, Aylesbury.

Future dates

15 July

16 September

18 November

The next meeting is due to take place on Wednesday 20 May 2015 at 2pm at the Whiteleaf Centre, Aylesbury.

Future dates

15 July

16 September

18 November