Issue - meetings

The Board noted a report into the outcome of a review into the provision of adult mental health services in Barking and Dagenham that was commissioned in the light of correspondence from the Chief Social Worker for Adults, seeking assurances that the appropriate statutory duties around adult mental health services were being satisfactory discharged.

Whilst recognising examples of good practice the review highlighted areas of immediate concerns around compliance with safeguarding procedures, the stability of parts of the workforce and some limitations with the Care Act compliance of the service.

Changes are taking place in the way the Council and its health partners are approaching integrated services within the framework of the BHR Integrated Care Partnership. This together with the introduction of the new Community Solutions Service for initial access to social care alongside a range of other frontline services, as well as current work looking at the future employment and vocational support for this service user group, has provided the opportunity to re-evaluate the place of mental health social care services in this new emerging landscape.

In the light of the review and the above factors the Statutory Director of Adult Social Services has taken the decision to reinstate a direct management relationship with mental health care services with effect from 1 October 2017. A temporary six-month extension arrangement with NELFT is presently being negotiated to maintain the service for the delivery of the integrated service. All partners agree that the priority must be the safe transition of patients and residents as service users. 

The Strategic Director emphasised that the primary focus of the review will be about the service users and their social workers who will be managed in a different way.  It is envisaged that a new service model will emerge from April 2018 and will then evolve over the next 12-month period thereafter.