Contact: Neil Lovell 02380 241336 [email protected]

1 Summary

1.1 The following decisions are sought: that the Executive Member approves the action plan in response to the Mental Health Act Commission visit in March 2003 and notes the progress to date in addressing the Commissions recommendations.

1 Reason(s)

1.1 This decisions is necessary because:

1.2 Hampshire County Council Social Services Department remains accountable to the Mental Health Act Commission for the actions and services provided by its Approved Social Workers under the Mental Health Act 1983.

1.3 The County Council is responsible for ensuring that its statutory mental health services meet the requirements placed upon it by regulatory authorities such as the Mental Health Act Commission.

1.4 The County Council's duties under the Mental Health Act support Aims 4 and 5 of the Corporate Strategy.

2 Other options considered and rejected

2.1 None.

3 Conflicts of Interest declared by the decision-maker or a Member or Officer consulted

3.1 None.

5 Dispensation granted by the Standards Committee

5.1 None.

6 Reason(s) for the matter being dealt with if urgent

6.1 Not applicable.

Approved by: Date of decision:

Councillor Felicity Hindson

Contact: Neil Lovell 02380-241336 [email protected]

1. Summary

The Mental Health Act Commission undertakes bi-annual visits of every Social Services Department and NHS Trust with statutory duties towards patients assessed and detained under the Mental Health Act 1983. Hampshire Social Services was last visited on 20 March 2003 following which the Commission made a number of recommendations. This report seeks to provide an update on the progress in addressing these issues.

2 Introduction

2.1 The Mental Health Act Commission last visited Hampshire Social Services on 20 March 2003. The purpose of the Commission's bi-annual visits is to review the provision of statutory services provided by Social Services in relation to clients assessed and detained under the Mental Health Act 1983 and to check on the progress of any recommendations for improvements to services made at their last visit.

2.2 The Mental Health Act Commissions visit concentrates on a number of key areas:

2.2.1 The provision of a sufficient number of Approved Social Workers (ASWs) to carry out the Departments responsibilities under the Mental Health Act 1983.

2.2.2 Issues relating to the training, development and support of Approved Social Workers.

2.2.3 Issues which may be impeding Approved Social Workers from efficiently carrying out their duties. (For example problems encountered with the Police or Ambulance Services).

2.3 The Commission's last report following their visit in March 2003 was overall very positive, highlighting only two recommendations which are listed below.

2.4 Recommendation One: "Consistent, regular and high quality professional development and training should be accessible to all ASW's."

2.5 Recommendation Two: "It may be useful for some additional time to be given to mutual negotiations between Social Services and Ambulance Services as overall the impression the Commission gained was that the obvious good-will and co-operation between services is becoming worryingly strained."

2.6 The County Council's statutory functions under the Mental Health Act contribute to two aims of the Corporate Strategy. Aim 4, Building Strong and Safe Communities, is achieved through the contribution of ASWs in reducing the risk of harm to people with mental health problems, and in some cases to other people; and Aim 5, Improving Services is a key part of the ASW role.

3 Action Plan

3.1 In response to the Commission's recommendations an action plan was devised to address issues of training and development for Approved Social Workers and to develop a forum in which issues relating to the interface between ASWs and the Ambulance and Police services could be discussed.

3.2 In response to recommendation one to improve the training and development of Approved Social Workers the Department agreed to achieve the following:

3.2.1 Review the current ASW Pathway, Appointment & Re-appointment policy relating the preparation and ongoing training and development of the County's Approved Social Workers.

3.2.2 Closer links to be developed with Bournemouth University in relation to the provision of Approved Social Worker training. The Commission highlighted concerns from ASWs around the organisation of the ASW training course from the previous year (2002).

3.2.3 Practice Development training days to be remodelled to more effectively meet the training and development needs of Approved Social Workers.

3.2.4 Supervision and support of Approved Social Workers to be improved and given greater focus and attention through the appointment of Senior Practitioner Social Workers in every Community Mental Health Team; and the creation of a County wide Mental Health Senior Practitioner Network.

3.2.5 Changes to the commissioning arrangements for mental health training bringing them under direct control of the mental health management team.

3.2 In response to recommendation two liaison meetings with the Police and Ambulance Services to be restarted with senior management representation from those agencies.

4 Progress

4.1 The following progress has been made on each of the action points listed in Paragraph 3 above:

4.1.1 The new ASW Pathway, Appointment & Re-appointment Policy is currently out for consultation with the County's Approved Social Workers and Mental Health Senior Practitioners. The final version will be completed by end of July.

4.1.2 Senior Management representation from Hampshire Social Services has now been achieved on the ASW Programme Management and Monitoring Boards for Bournemouth University. There has been positive feedback from the course participants this year about the quality of the training.

4.1.3 Practice Development days have been revised to ensure relevancy to Approved Social Workers. Changes have also been made to the commissioning of legal update training for ASWs to ensure that they received yearly update training on developments in mental health legislation. The Department has also become a member of the Institute of Mental Health Law who provide monthly updates on developments in mental health law.

4.1.4 The Department has successfully recruited to fourteen out of the sixteen Senior Practitioner Social Worker posts. Arrangements are in place for all ASWs to receive regular supervision for their Mental Health Act work and the Senior Practitioner Network had its first meeting in January 2004. Senior Practitioners receive professional support and supervision from the Mental Health Practice Development Manager.

4.1.5 The commissioning arrangements for all mental health training courses within Hampshire are now under the direct control of the Project Manager for Mental Health Training and the Mental Health Practice Development Manager (for courses relating to Approved Social Workers).

4.1.6 Hampshire Partnership Trust's Criminal Justice Liaison Group provides a regular forum for liaison with Hampshire Police, Courts and Probation. This meeting is chaired by the Trust's Chief Executive and attended by senior representatives of the various Criminal Justice organisations and Hampshire Social Services. A sub-group of this meeting will provide a forum for Police and Ambulance services to discuss issues relating to Mental Health Act assessments. This sub-group will be established by August 2004. The Ambulance Service have recently been consulted and report that there is good cooperation between Social Services and the Ambulance service on matters relating to functions carried out under the Mental Health Act 1983.

5 Recommendation

5.1 That the Executive Member approves the action plan in response to the Mental Health Act Commission visit in March 2003 and notes the progress to date in addressing the Commissions recommendations.

Background Papers

Section 100D - Local Government Act 1972 - Background Documents

The following documents disclose facts or matter in which this report or an important part of it, is based and has been relied upon to a material extent in the preparation of the report.

N.B The list excludes:

1 Published works.

2 Documents which disclose exempts or confidential information as defined in the Act.

Report of Mental Health Act Commission visit to Hampshire County Council Social Services on 20 March 2003.