The Board to receive an update from the Mental Health Solution Workshop.

The Chair thanked the Voluntary and Community Sector for hosting the solution workshop into mental health, in particular Healthwatch and MIND Plymouth.  Peter Edwards, Healthwatch Representative provided the Board with an update from the Mental Health Solution Workshop facilitated by the Plymouth Mental Health Provider Network on 7 November 2015.

It was reported that the conversations that took place at the workshop identified the problems very quickly but stalled on the how and what could be done. It was very apparent that everyone was struggling on how to approach things differently in terms of mental health.  Mental health was a massive problem and about making people more resilient and to be more healthy and the need to focus solutions around individuals.

The following comments were made by Board members -

(a)           the voice of the child and the issues affecting children and young people was important and investing in preventative work;

(b)          housing officers at Plymouth Community Homes have identified single men who are very isolated whilst not causing any problems in terms of their tenancy have low level mental health needs.  There was a need to better understand people with low level mental health needs and training for housing staff to understand what services are available to signpost people to and forms part of the preventative agenda;

(c)           mental health was still a very difficult topic for people to discuss;

(d)          ensure that the voluntary and community sector is engaged for the knowledge and understanding to form part of the intelligence for the workshop.

Agreed that –

1.         A further workshop is set up to identify solutions to the issues raised at the Mental Health Solution Workshop.

2.         Preparatory work to be undertaken prior to the workshop, Kelechi Nnoaham, Dr Paul Hardy, Peter Edwards and Ross Jago to meet and shape the day.

3.         that the findings of the solution workshop and the comments from the discussion today and further Solution Workshop are incorporated into the Pledge 90 Implementation Plan which will then come to the Health and Wellbeing Board in June.