Ambitious plans to transform the way adult community mental health care and support is provided in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent are underway.
This three-year transformation, taking place between 2021-2024, supports the priorities set out within the NHS Long Term Plan and is being bolstered with the help of multi-million pound national funding.
The Long Term Plan also stresses the need for these services to be delivered within Primary Care Network (PCN) – geographical networks of GP practices. There are a total of 24 PCNs in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent.
The new funding will help to create a new proactive model of community-based mental health care, based within PCNs, with mental health NHS trusts working in partnership with GPs, commissioners, local authorities and voluntary and community organisations – alongside people with lived experience, their families and carers.
Aims and ambitions
This work will focus on serious mental illness, with work programmes focusing in particular on transforming personality disorder, eating disorders and community rehabilitation for adults.
The infographic below provides an overview of the aims and ambitions of the programme in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent. Highlights include:
- Introducing a single point of access for mental health concerns – delivered in partnership with voluntary and community sector organisations
- Having a ‘no wrong door’ approach to accessing streamlined and person-centred care between different organisations that removes the need for multiple assessments
- Introducing new digital platforms and technologies
- Self-referrals.
The infographic below provides a summary of the partners involved and the eight PCNs taking part in the first phase of the programme (2021-22). A further eight PCNs will come on board in phase two (2022-23), with the remaining PCNs joining in phase three (2023-24).
The focus over the next three years will be to develop fully integrated teams of health, social care and voluntary and community staff to work in new ways, with the support of people with lived experience to deliver services that more effectively meet the needs of the communities they serve.
The video below explains the Transformation Programme from a national NHS perspective:
For information about the Transformation Programme specific to Staffordshire, please see the video below:
‘Getting Involved’ – How To Get Involved With The Transformation Programme
Combined Healthcare is working closely with organisations involved in community mental health care, including NHS, local authorities and voluntary and community groups, along with users of mental health services on this transformation.
Are you a user of mental health services, a carer or someone with an interest in mental health? Would you like to get involved? If so, you are warmly invited to help shape the way community mental health services are delivered locally.
The people who use our services and those that care for them are at the heart of this transformation.
Here are some of the ways you can get involved:
· Being involved in designing pathways
· Being an advocate for the people who use our services
· Changing how we communicate and engage with people
· Directly influencing the way we work at Combined Healthcare.
For the latest Combined Healthcare updates and news for the transformation programme, visit our web page here https://www.twbstaffsandstoke.org.uk/about-us/our-work/mental-health/adult-community-mental-health-transformation/community-mental-health-transformation-north-staffordshire