Meeting documents

The Environment and Living Scrutiny Committee received a report detailing information about mental health and wellbeing services available in Aylesbury Vale.  The Assistant Director of Public Health from Buckinghamshire County Council was in attendance to provide additional information to the Committee.  It was noted that mental wellbeing encompassed more than assistance for mental health issues.  Members noted that improving mental health and wellbeing was associated with significant impacts for individuals and society, including better physical health, longer life expectancy, reduced inequalities, healthier lifestyles, improved academic achievement, enhanced community participation, reduced sickness absence and improved productivity as well as reduced costs from welfare, health and social care.  The Foresight Mental Capital and Wellbeing Project (2008) also referred to mental capital, which was an individual’s cognitive and emotional resources which can influence their ability to cope with the ups and down of life. 

Members were advised that two of Buckinghamshire County Council’s Select Committees were looking into mental health services in the County.  The Health and Adult Social Care Select Committee had finished a review into mental health services, and the Children’s Social Care and Learning Select Committee would be undertaking a review in 2016.  It was noted that the causes of, and influences on, mental wellbeing were wide ranging.  Often issues occurred because of adverse events in people’s lives, but they can also be influence by other circumstances or risk factors, such as poverty, unemployment, levels of supportive networks and levels of education.  The broader social environment also affects how resilient a person could be in coping with challenges.  As the environment surrounding a person would have an effect on their mental wellbeing, it could be said that all organisations in the District had an impact on mental wellbeing.

Resilience training was being carried out with 26 schools to help young people improve their mental health capacities and provide them with skill sets to overcome challenges.  It was questioned what support was available to young carers, and it was advised that young carers were a key group and that sessions on resilience training had been run for young carers.  

It was noted that an annual personal wellbeing survey was undertaken by the Office of National Statistics, where respondents were asked to rate themselves on a score of 1-10 on life satisfaction, feeling worthwhile, feeling happy and feeling anxious.  Members were advised that the results for Buckinghamshire were better than the national average for all categories other than anxiety, where residents indicated that they felt more anxiety than average.

The District Council provided a number of services that can support the give ways to wellbeing programme and therefore would help to improve mental wellbeing.  Some examples of this include:

·         The provision of leisure facilities, including parks and open spaces

·         The provision and promotion of physical activities, such as the new Active Vale programme

·         Support for older people through our ageing well programme which is being rolled out across Local Area Forums

·         Support for the voluntary sector through the grants programme and Vale Lottery.

The majority of Council services did have a contribution to mental wellbeing. It was suggested that there should be increased measuring of the impact the Council had on this.  Members questioned how employees of the Council were supported, and were advised that there were several schemes available to employees of the Council.  One of these was a mental health first aid training scheme, which aimed to help employees identify mental health issues in colleagues and equip them in how to have a conversation on the subject.

Members suggested that it would be beneficial for members of the public if it became more of a social norm to become more active and take use of the local natural resources.  The Active Bucks scheme aimed to help achieve this.  A recent report stated that a large number of children nationally hadn’t been to a park in the last 12 months.  It was asked what the Council was doing to encourage higher levels of activity in children.  Members were advised that Buckinghamshire had much higher levels of childhood activity than the national average.  Schools were also working on physical literacy, as physical activity between the ages of 4 and 7 helped children to develop motor skills.

It was questioned what impact social media had had on mental health.  It was noted that, on the one hand social media connected people who had previously struggled to connect with other people, however online bullying could increase the chance on mental health issues.  Buckinghamshire County Council had produced a report on internet safety, but the effects of social media on mental health were not fully known.

Members were advised that work was undertaken with small and medium businesses regarding promoting mental health and wellbeing a couple of years ago.  A mental health programme was promoted through the Local Enterprise Partnership, and it was noted that there had not been a positive response at the time.  Businesses stated that they did not have the resource or capacity to implement a policy at the time.  Larger businesses were likely to have their own mental health policy.  It was noted that the military had an Armed Forces Health and Wellbeing Forum, which had a mental health action plan and that the military were alert to mental health issues.  It was stated that mental health issues also arose years after a person had ended their service with the military, and therefore it was important that GPs were aware of a patient’s veteran status.  The National Armed Forces Covenant also enabled veterans to have fast track access to certain services.

Members asked whether the Council would be monitoring the level of need for access to mental health services for vulnerable groups during the change in the benefits are delivered.  Members asked for additional information to be given regarding monitoring of mental health in children, and whether this was likely to be affected by the removal of some Sure Start centres.

The Environment and Living Scrutiny Committee thanked the Assistant Director of Public Health from Buckinghamshire County Council for her attendance, and

RESOLVED

That the Mental Health and Wellbeing Update be noted.