Centre for Mental Health Policy Watch

Study shows 11.5 per cent drop in mental health discrimination

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 09:00:00 GMT

A study published in the British Journal of Psychiatry has shown there has been an 11.5% reduction in average levels of discrimination. The study of England’s Time to Change anti-stigma programme provides the first evidence that it is possible to change the way the public treat people with mental health problems, but that a long term focus is needed to ensure that discrimination is removed from all areas of people’s lives.

The study found that discrimination when getting and keeping a job decreased significantly between 2008 and 2010, and a survey of employers shows improved knowledge of common mental health problems and more policies in place to support people with mental health problems in the workplace in 2010 compared to 2006. Read more on the Time to Change website.

Turning young lives around briefing paper

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 09:00:00 GMT

Turning young lives around: how health and justice services can respond to children with mental health problems and learning disabilities who offend is a briefing paper from the Prison Reform Trust.

It seeks to encourage effective joint working between health and wellbeing boards and youth justice services. It aims to ensure that local strategies reflect the needs of children and young people who offend, especially those with mental health problems and learning disabilities. It outlines a practical action agenda and provides examples of good practice.

A single operating model for commissioning for offender health

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 09:00:00 GMT

This single operating model aims to initiate a move away from regionally and locally isolated commissioning to a clear and consistent national approach. It sets out the national strategy for commissioning and how it will be co-ordinated via the four NHS Commissioning Board regional teams. It also outlines how the NHS Commissioning Board (now called NHS England) will move towards a national contract framework with a national set of service specifications, standards, policies and quality measures.

New guides from the Joint Commissioning Panel for Mental Health

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 09:00:00 GMT

The Joint Commissioning Panel for Mental Health (JCP-MH) has launched commissioning guides for perinatal mental health services, rehabilitation services and public mental health services.

The JCP-MH is a collaboration between 17 leading organisations. It will publish 18 guides for commissioners by June 2013.

Whole-person care: from rhetoric to reality

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 09:00:00 GMT

This report from the Royal College of Psychiatrists highlights the significant inequalities that currently exist between physical and mental health care, including preventable premature deaths, lower treatment rates for mental health conditions and an underfunding of mental healthcare relative to the scale and impact of mental health problems.

It makes a series of key recommendations for government, policy-makers and health professionals, as well as the new NHS structures that came into force on the 1st April, including improved joint working across teams and organisations, and an increase in funding to address existing problems.

What about the children? a thematic inspection by Ofsted

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 09:00:00 GMT

What about the children? Joint working between adult and children's services when parents or carers have mental ill health and/or drug and alcohol problems

is a thematic inspection by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission explored how effectively adult and children’s services worked together to ensure that children affected by their parents’ or carers’ difficulties were supported and safe.

The report draws on evidence from cases in nine local authorities and partner agencies and from the views of parents, carers, children, practitioners and managers. It calls on the government to make it a mandatory requirement for mental health services to collect data on children whose parents or carers have mental health difficulties and report on such data nationally.

Smoking neglected in people with mental health conditions, leading to premature death

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 09:00:00 GMT

A report from the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) and Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCPsych) argues that smoking in people with mental disorders is neglected by the NHS. The report, Smoking and mental health, says that smoking is often overlooked during the management and treatment of people's mental health condition and much of the substantially lower life expectancy of people with mental disorders is related to smoking.

New guidance on childhood conduct disorders released

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 09:00:00 GMT

Conduct disorders, and associated antisocial behaviour, are the most common mental and behavioural problems in children and young people. This new NICE guideline updates and replaces 'Parent-training/education programmes in the management of children with conduct disorder' (NICE technology appraisal guidance 102, published June 2006). It offers evidence-based advice on the recognition and management of conduct disorders in children and young people. Download the guidance here.

Children whose parents have mental health difficulties are poorly supported and protected

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 09:00:00 GMT

Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) today called on the government to make it a mandatory requirement for mental health services to collect data on children whose parents or carers have mental health difficulties and report on such data nationally.

The recommendation is contained in a joint survey published today by the two regulators. The report What about the children? highlights how the lack of identification of children living with parents with mental ill health has led to them not receiving the help they need, with some being left at risk of harm.

Currently, it is a mandatory requirement for adult services to gather information about children and report to the National Treatment Agency for Substance Abuse where their parents have drugs/and or alcohol problems. However, this is not the case for children whose parents have serious mental health difficulties. Download the report here.

Report on the consultation on the healthcare needs of injured veterans and their families

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 09:00:00 GMT

In May 2012, the Armed Forces Partnership hosted a user-led event focusing on injured veterans’ healthcare needs and experiences, and those of their families. This brought together veterans with those responsible for the commissioning and provision of their health and care services, with the aim of placing veterans’ voices at the heart of the design of health and social care services. Read the report here.