Transforming mental health urgent and emergency care services
It’s a challenging time so more people are reaching for support with mental health when they urgently need it. We’re working with our partners in the public and voluntary sector, as well as with experts with lived experience to increase access to the right range of care to keep people well and offer extra support when they need it.
We are holding regular stakeholder workshops with partners to discuss different aspects of the current pathways and how we can improve them.
We are also holding focus groups and listening to people with lived experience about what they value in current services, what works well and what could be improved.
Health based places of safety (HBPoS)
In July, NHS England approved capital funding the health-based places of safety (HBPoS) provided by NHS Kent and Medway Social care Partnership Trust (KMPT).
This winter NHS Kent and Medway is seeking people’s views on:
- how to improve mental health crisis care and keep people well in the community
- proposals to improve Section 136 service and the health-based places of safety (HBPoS).
We understand having an assessment in a health-based place of safety may happen when a person is at their lowest moment, overwhelmed by life, at risk of harming themselves or others, or when someone is severely unwell and unable to help themselves or even ask for help.
We are working with our partners to hold discussions in a safe and sensitive way.
Learning from existing insights and research
We have contacted all our partners across the integrated care system and asked them to share what they have heard and recorded about mental health services and particularly mental health crisis care or Section 136 services. This is so we can build upon what people have already told us and work effectively in a joined-up way.
Working in partnership with experts by experience
We have worked with KMPT’s engagement forum and with voluntary sector partners: Megan CiC and MIND who support people with complex emotional disorders through peer support. Holding a series of focus groups to discuss what improvements are needed to help develop proposals for Section 136 services and the KMPT health-based places of safety.
We have held focus groups or discussions in team meetings with front line staff who are partners in caring for people when in crisis, including; KMPT section 136 staff, police and approved mental health professionals working at Medway Council and Kent County Council.
All of this early engagement has been fed into the development of proposals.
Assurance and decision-making processes
In January 2023, we went to Medway Council’s Health and Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee and Kent County Council’s Health Overview and Scrutiny committees to share our work and get their views on our proposal and plans to consult in February.
We also took our plans to the ICB board and the Oversight Professional Group in KMPT to get their assurance and agreement that we were ready to take forward our plans for public consultation.
A public consultation was held between February and April, to find out how we can improve health-based places of safety in Kent and Medway and transform mental health urgent and emergency care.
To find out more information and contribute your views please go to www.haveyoursayinkentandmedway.