Agenda item

Presentation by Associate Director, MH/LD Partnerships and Strategy, Tees, Esk and Wear Valley NHS Foundation Trust and Programme Manager, Community Transformation Tees Valley

The Programme Manager, Community Transformation Tees Valley gave a presentation (previously circulated) updating Members on the work being undertaken to review the mental health system as part of the Community Transformation NHS England: Tees Valley.

It was reported that the core aims of the community transformation, which was being driven by the NHS England long term plan, were to improve access to integrated primary and community mental health care for those with severe mental health illness; to move to an integrated, holistic, person-centred care model; and to co-produce services and care pathways with service users, carers and local communities. Members noted that this was a 3 – 5 year programme.

Members were advised of the work being undertaken in the Tees Valley which included a consultation exercise by Healthwatch; and reference was made to the work undertaken between April and September 2021 as part of the information and mapping phase 1.

Details were provided of the TEWV redesign event held in October 2021; the vision for the model, which had been developed with patients and carers, was outlined; the community hub had been identified as a key element of the model; and the flow of patients between the different levels within the model would be supported by community care navigators.

Details were also provided of the work to be undertaken as part of phase 2 and phase 3; Members were advised that the vision had been signed off in January 2022 and Year 2 proposal submitted to NHSE; and a breakdown of the year 2 funding proposal was outlined.

Members were informed that there had been eight resilience projects, funded non recurrently, to support COVID recovery across Darlington; these projects included increasing capacity in counselling for those who had experienced bereavement, social connections and artistic sessions for individuals with low mood or anxiety, befriending services, female and male allotment sessions and social prescribing; a further two full time mental health nurses had been appointed as part of the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS), to support adults aged 18 and over; and details were provided of the next steps for Darlington.

Members entered into a discussion regarding recruitment and retention of staff; and the need for recurrent investment in mental health services.

RESOLVED – That the presentation be noted.