Decision details

This report and accompanying presentation will give an overview of the ‘Closing the Gap’ report which sets out 25 priorities for change in how children and adults with mental health problems are supported and cared for.  The Mental Health Sub-Group will provide a summary of the report at the July meeting, with a full report on the implications for Mental Health services and commissioners at the Board’s October meeting.

The Board noted:

(i)  The 25 recommendations highlighted within the Closing the Gap report.

(ii)  That the Mental Health Sub-Group members were undertaking a benchmarking audit within their respective organisations to establish the level of services commissioned and provided within Barking and Dagenham against those 25 priorities.

(iii)  That an implementation plan would be presented to the 28 October 2014 Board outlining the actions that need to be taken for local services to meet the report’s recommendations.

(iii)  There was a link between mental health and long-term physical conditions (e.g. diabetes, heart disease, COPD) and accordingly it would be efficient to link and coordinate the strategies and this would be part of the refresh of the Health and Wellbeing Strategy.