Council and democracy

Services for people with mental health problems

The delivery of social care to both adults of working age and older adults with mental health problems and their carers now takes place through Hertfordshire Partnership Foundation NHS Trust (HPFT).

The planning and commissioning of health and social care for mental health services is the responsibility of the Joint Commissioning Team, which is funded by Hertfordshire County Council and all the Primary Care Trusts in Hertfordshire.

The overall strategy for mental health services in Hertfordshire is currently being revised through an initiative known as ‘Investing in your mental health’. The emphasis moving forward will be on a ‘recovery’ and social inclusion approach to mental health, which will focus on community-oriented services integrated with primary care. This approach has received the support and endorsement of service users, carers, commissioners and providers.

During 2006/07 mental health services in Hertfordshire will have their resource levels reduced by primary care trusts to help bring the wider health economy into financial balance. This will mean some reduction in services but will, in part, be achieved through service redesign, maintaining the commitment to providing recovery-oriented services.

Also during 2006/07 Hertfordshire Partnership Foundation NHS Trust is planning to make an application for foundation trust status. Ensuring that social care services continue to be delivered effectively within a foundation trust arrangement will be a priority for Hertfordshire Partnership Foundation NHS Trust and Hertfordshire County Council.

Within this context, over the next three years we will:

• Review existing day services and develop day opportunities based on a ‘recovery’ approach
• Review the range of community teams including approved social worker arrangements, to ensure we provide the most efficient and effective support
• Improve the use of resources by contracting more effectively for services and emphasising service delivery close to home
• Implement commissioning plans to ensure adequate secure provision and to achieve better value for money in continuing care and other placements
• Improve the range of care and treatment for those with dual diagnosis
• Work together with the Supporting People programme to look at the development of floating support and clustered housing schemes
• Improve carer support using available grants and increase the number of carers who receive services following an assessment
• Increase choice and control through an increase in direct payments and individual budgets
• Improve both performance and data quality on social care performance indicators within Hertfordshire Partnership NHS Trust
• Further develop the partnership team in order to examine and evidence how social care outcomes within the partnership trust (and healthcare outcomes in Adult Care Services’ learning disability services) are improving
• Improve practice in respect of supporting and meeting the needs of carers