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Letter - HSS Scrutiny Panel to HSS Minister re Mental Health Services - 14 March 2022

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States Greffe: Scrutiny

Deputy Richard Renouf

Minister for Health and Social Services BY EMAIL

14th March 2022 Dear Minister,

Follow up Review: Assessment of Mental Health Services

I refer to the Panel's letter dated 1st February 2022, which confirmed the Panel's Terms of Reference for its Follow-up Review of Mental Health Services, the Panel has a number of questions in relation to the delivery of mental health services and governance, front-line services, estate and service locations and funding.

We should therefore be grateful if you could arrange to provide answers to the questions outlined below. A number of these matters were queried in the public hearing on 28th February 2022, and it was confirmed that further details could be provided:

Governance

  1. Please could you provide the Panel with further details about the provision of mental health services in relation to the risk register for Health and Community Services (HCS)?
  1. If possible, please can you provide details about any specific mental health risks identified on the risk register and the date these were registered?
  2. Please can you provide details about any actions that arose in relation to mental health services as a result of the risk register?
  1. Please could you provide a timeline and detail of the action plan for Adult Mental Health Services at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic (including any changes identified to the HCS risk register and Red/Amber/Green ratings)?
  2. At the Public Hearing on 28th February 2022, it was advised that Adult Mental Health Services was "redesigning our community model". Please could you provide some more information about the redesign of the 'community model' for mental health services?
  3. It was also advised at the Public Hearing that Adult Mental Health Services was "introducing a model of co-ordination of care". Please could you provide some more details about the co-ordination of care model and advise when it will be introduced / operational?
  1. With reference to questions (3) and (4) above, please could you provide some further details about how these models of care work together.
  1. Please could you provide further details about any other models of care used by Adult Mental Health Services?
  1. The Panel has been advised that the Mental Health Improvement Board (MHIB) ceased to operate because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Please could you outline the decision-making process behind the disbandment of the MHIB, including:
  1. When was the last meeting of the MHIB?
  2. Has decision been communicated to the stakeholder groups?
  3. When was the decision taken and by whom?
  1. Please can you provide some further details about the establishment, structure, membership and terms of reference of the new Mental Health Partnership Board?
  2. The Panel cannot find evidence that the objectives of the (previous) Mental Health Strategy are shared publicly. Please could you confirm if these were made available on gov.je (or elsewhere)?
  3. Please could you provide some further details about why the outcomes of the previous strategy "fell by the wayside"1?

a.  Please advise whether the work on these outcomes will recommence as part of the refresh of the mental health strategy?

  1. Please can you provide a copy of the Mental Health Improvement Plan and advise whether this is publicly available?
  2. The Mental Health Strategy for Jersey (2016-2020) stated an intention to publish an annual Mental Health Quality Report. Please could you confirm why no further annual reports were published after the report for 2016/2017?
  3. The Panel learnt at the Public Hearing on the 28th February, that there are plans for a dementia strategy for Jersey, but that this will not be "owned and held" by Mental Health Services. Please could you clarify where responsibility for the strategy would sit and the input you envisage from Adult Mental Health Services?
  4. Please can you provide some further details about the following groups and advise where these fit in the structure of Health and Community Services / Mental Health Services (please provide a structure chart to detail responsibility where possible):
  1. Mental Health Law Group (as referenced in the public hearing on 28th February 2022);
  2. Mental Health Legislation Oversight Group (as referenced in the public hearing on 28th February 2022); and
  3. HCS Capacity and Liberty Team (as referenced in the HCS Business Plan).

Frontline Services

  1. Please could you provide us with further written detail about the communications, training and guidance that was provided to frontline staff in relation to the powers under the Emergency COVID-19 Mental Health (Jersey) Regulations 2020. [The Panel notes that the powers were not used but would like information around the preparedness of the service and staff in the event that the Minister had declared an extraordinary period.]
  1. In relation to the Community Triage Team / Crisis Team (the Triage Team), please can you provide some further details, and data where possible, about the relationship between the Triage Team and the emergency services?
  1. What is the process for the call out of the Triage Team by the Police / Ambulance / Other Services?
  2. Is the Triage Team able to assist with all requests for assistance it receives?
  1. Please can you provide us with some further information about the funding for the Mental Health Network and the online access to the "Hub of Hope Network"?

a.  Do you have any data in relation to these services?

Estate and Service Locations

  1. Once the building work at Clinique Pinel has been completed and is ready for occupation, please can you outline how this will affect the location of services in the buildings around the sites in St Saviour?
  2. Please can you clarify your short-term plans for the use of the Orchard House building for Adult Mental Health Services? Will it remain in use / partially in use until the new hospital facilities are operational?

a.  When was the most recent Health and Safety report produced for Orchard House? What did this identify?

  1. Will the place of safety located in the newly refurbished Clinique Pinel be used for children and young people?
  1. What consideration has been given to providing a separate place of safety for children and young people?
  2. What consideration has been given to providing a specific place of safety for individuals suffering from dementia?
  1. Please can you outline what discussions have been had about the mental service provision at the new General Hospital?

Funding

  1. Please can you provide further detail to advise where the growth money will be allocated for the management structure changes?
  2. Please can you outline all funding that is provided to charities / third sector to provide frontline mental health services?

a.  Please could you outline the length of contract for these services, where applicable?

Thank you in advance for your assistance, we should be grateful if you could provide a response within 5 working days of this letter.

Please direct any response or queries to the Panel through our Committee and Panel Officer, Katherine de Carteret by email at k.decarteret@gov.je and / or our Research and Project Officer, Ben Walker by email at b.walker2@gov.je.

Yours sincerely  

Deputy Mary Le Hegarat

Chair

Health and Social Security Scrutiny Panel