Agenda item

Medway Adult Mental Health Social Work: First Year Review and Options for the Future

Minutes:

Background:

 

This report reviewed progress and performance of the Medway Adult Mental Health Social Work service since 1 February 2012, which was when the social care staff transferred to Medway Council from the Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust.

 

The report took account of consultations undertaken with users and other stakeholders, performance measures and financial information.  It referred to other relevant reports and documents, including a summary report written on behalf of the team on the areas of work. It also considered the broader context across Medway, which was having an impact on mental health service users, as well as national policy directives. The importance of improving the Council’s response to children and families was also taken into account.

 

The report presented options available to the Council in relation to the management and position of this service as a part of its broader strategy for the development of mental health social care, to serve the needs of the community of Medway and to bring about better social care outcomes for mental health service users and their families. It was noted that there was essentially three options, with some scope for variation, and these were:

·        The service remains within Council management;

·        Independent social work practice established in a social enterprise;

·        Market tender.

 

Each option was reviewed within the report.

 

It was noted that the Health and Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee had considered this report on 20 August 2013. The report set out details of the discussion and the committee’s recommendation that the service remains within Council management and be reviewed again in 2016.

 

Decision number:

Decision:

141/2013

The Cabinet agreed that the adult mental health social work team should remain in Council management and be reviewed again in 2016.

142/2013

The Cabinet agreed that operational working arrangements between the Council’s housing teams, its adult mental health social work team and local NHS mental health teams be strengthened to respond to the risk of homelessness to vulnerable adults with mental health problems, recognising that Medway has limited housing resources and many areas of need.

143/2013

The Cabinet agreed that the management arrangements, set out in paragraph 2.10.21 of the report, be recruited to immediately.

 

The Cabinet noted that the Health and Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee believed that it was essential that Medway had at least the national average of acute beds locally to ensure that service users needs are met and other services are not over burdened.

 

The Cabinet noted that the Health and Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee supported the work being carried out in Appendix 3 of the report.

 

Reasons:

 

To ensure that the needs of adults with mental health needs and their families in Medway are met and that social work practice locally has a significant and positive impact on their lives; that Medway Council fulfils its statutory duties in relation to mental health and safeguarding; and that the Council Plan priorities and values are honoured as per Council commitments.

Supporting documents: