A new report published has listened to the views of people across North Yorkshire about mental health support and provision and is paving the way for future changes and improvements.
One in four people in England experience a mental health condition and the countries growing, diverse population means support and services must adapt to meet these needs. That’s why the North Yorkshire and York Mental Health Alliance have worked in partnership with Healthwatch North Yorkshire to better understand the challenges local adults living with mental health illnesses face and how they can be better supported.
The move comes as part of the North Yorkshire and York Community Mental Health Transformation programme, which aims to transform the lives of people living with mental health conditions and the way they are supported in their local community. It also contributes to the North Yorkshire and York Leadership Alliance’s commitment to ensuring mental health services are inclusive, co-produced by people with lived experience and that care is person centred.
Co-production and collaboration
Working in collaboration with representatives from across the North Yorkshire and York Mental Health Alliance, and people with lived experience of mental illness, their families and carers – Healthwatch North Yorkshire undertook extensive research across the region, speaking to people from a wide range of communities, backgrounds and ages to understand what really matters to them.
Feeling that you can help shape services by sharing your views as to what is needed in rural areas is a very empowering experience. It helped create better mental health for me in the process.
Lisa, North Yorkshire resident and survivor of serious mental illness, who helped with the project.
The research and findings
The research looked at the challenges people face in accessing support and what changes could improve their wellbeing. In addition to looking at service provision, it also looked at what affects people’s mental wellbeing and how and where people would like to receive support.
The report uncovered a range of views, with a mix of positive and negative experiences. Fundamentally, people felt that services didn’t always cater to individual needs and that a more person-centred approach was needed.
People lead more complex lives now and have multiple issues that might affect their mental health, from housing and finances to relationships and education. Our research found that people felt that they were passed between services and that this can cause more harm than good. People can end up on multiple waiting lists and having to repeat their story to several different people. This in turn can generate more stress and upset for people and further affect their mental wellbeing. It’s important that services work closely to address people’s needs and understand the wider support available and how to direct people.
Ashley Green, CEO, Healthwatch North Yorkshire
In addition, people felt that more longer-term support was required for there to be any long-lasting benefit. More flexibility in what provision is available and when, and improved support to access services was also cited – especially for those with no transport or who live in rural locations.
If you properly support people with their mental health then everything else follows. People’s physical health is better and there is less of a strain on the NHS.
a research participant
Adapting and transforming
We know that there are pressures on mental health services and that this is affecting the support people are receiving and the experiences people are having. To be sustainable and ensure people get the best possible care and support that is right for them, we must adapt and transform the way we work. The Community Mental Health Transformation Programme aims to do just this. It’s about listening to and working with local people and partners to understand the needs of local people and what really matters to them. That’s why we commissioned this piece of work, which will support us to continue to work locally with partners such as the local authority and colleagues in the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector. It will support us to be more joined up in our approach and to consider alternative, community-based solutions that better meet people’s needs.
David Kerr, Transformation Programme Lead, North Yorkshire and York Mental Health Alliance
Recommendations and moving forward
Following the report Healthwatch North Yorkshire has outlined several key recommendations, which can be seen from page 18 of the summary report.
The North Yorkshire and York Mental Health Alliance, who commissioned the report, includes Tees Esk Wear Valley NHS Foundation Trust, North Yorkshire County Council and the Humber and North Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership (also known as an integrated care system) – a partnership of organisations that come together to plan and deliver health and care services.
Much work has already begun as part of the Community Mental Health Transformation Programme, and this has been highlighted in the Alliance’s response to the report recommendations. The Alliance has also outlined future plans and commitments to tackling some of the issues raised in the report.
It’s incredibly important that we listen and act upon people’s experiences. This will help us, along with our partners, to drive forward improvements and make sure that everyone receives timely care that meets their individual needs. There continues to be an unprecedented demand for mental health care throughout the country. We’re committed to providing a better experience for people in our care and there is a great deal of work underway to improve crisis services, as well as preventative care.
Zoe Campbell, Managing Director for North Yorkshire and York, Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS FT
Summary
From what the public told us, what needs to change is earlier diagnosis and intervention, improving communications within services, better crisis support, and making sure staff feel supported and not stretched. Providers, support services and charities are doing their best, but we’d like to see more funding from the Government to help them. We welcome the Alliance’s commitment to taking the necessary steps (some of which have already happened) and using this report and its recommendations to drive change across the mental health system. We will continue to work in partnership with them to ensure that access to services and care improves to meet people’s needs.
Ashley Green, CEO Healthwatch North Yorkshire
