The community mental health framework for adults and older adults

NHS England and NHS Improvement, September 2019

The Community Mental Health Framework describes how the Long Term Plan’s vision for a place-based community mental health model can be realised, and how community services should modernise to offer whole-person, whole-population health approaches, aligned with the new Primary Care Networks.

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Evaluation of the NHS Workforce Race Equality Standard (WRES): Report on Initial Evaluation, January 2019

University of Sheffield and Lancaster University, September 2019

This document is an interim report detailing the first six months of an evaluation of the WRES. This is an independent evaluation, conducted at the University of Sheffield, in conjunction with Lancaster University, with funding provided by NHS England. Many aspects of addressing race inequality are specific to individual trusts and the historical and local context in which the organisations operate is important. It is particularly important to consider that it is too soon to expect to see significant change in healthcare delivery and outcomes as a result of the WRES; this will take years to bear proper fruit, and it is still the early stages of that journey.

• It is important that the WRES continues with the same commitment and momentum; it is vital to retain the same indicators and methodology so that trusts can learn as much as possible from their data, by monitoring change over time, and to help them embed the culture change that is needed to ensure greater race equality within the NHS

• It is essential that the future leadership of the WRES is considered a priority, both in terms of ensuring continuity at the national level and in terms of decentralised leadership so there is more expertise at a local level

• In order to maintain positive views of the WRES, steps should be taken to ensure that “monitoring fatigue” is kept to a minimum by allowing greater use of existing data and procedures. This may be particularly important for other initiatives such as the new Workforce Disability Equality Standard (WDES).

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Occupational therapy: unlocking the potential of children and young people

Royal College of Occupational Therapists, September 2019

Royal College of Occupational Therapists report outlining the role that occupational therapists play in improving the lives of children and young people with physical, learning and mental health needs. It demonstrates, through a series of case studies, how occupational therapists help children and young people participate in the activities that they want or need to do at home, at school or work and during their free time. It also shows how occupational therapists are key to promoting collaboration between, health, social care, education and the voluntary sector.

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International Journal of Positive Behavioural Support – Issue 1, 2019

Issue 1 of International Journal of Positive Behavioural Support has been published.  This edition includes articles on the impact of a brief PBS assessment on four children with intellectual disabilities and their families,  a cross sectional study of trauma symptomatology among staff working with people with intellectual disabilities who present challenging behaviour, and a review of restraint, prolonged seclusion and segregation for people with a mental health problem, a learning disability or autism.

Click here to view the table of contents.  Login with your LCFT OpenAthens account to view the full text articles.

Individual and local area factors associated with self-reported wellbeing, perceived social cohesion and sense of attachment to one’s community: analysis of the Understanding Society Survey

What Works Wellbeing, September 2019

What Works Wellbeing analysis of data from the Understanding Society Survey (USS) which follows a large sample of people from across Britain over time. This study was undertaken to examine questions likely to be especially relevant for those working in the field of public health intelligence, using small area statistics to identify localities where interventions may particularly need to be targeted in order to reduce inequalities in wellbeing across England. Key findings are:

• Those living in areas with worse Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) scores, and in areas with higher Social Fragmentation (SFI) Scores reported lower levels of social cohesion in their area and weaker sense of attachment to their neighbourhoods. SFI scores significantly predict perceived cohesion and attachment, in addition to IMD Scores.

• Those living in areas with worse IMDs scores reported lower (worse) wellbeing scores in survey wave 4 and less positive rates of change in wellbeing by wave 7, when all of the individual attributes are taken into account. Some domains of the IMD2010 index are more relevant for predicting wellbeing than others.

• Perception of social cohesion and sense of attachment to one’s neighbourhood were associated with self-reported wellbeing

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Starting Well Core: 0-2s dental access and prevention framework

NHS England and NHS Improvement, September 2019

This document aims to provide local dental commissioning teams with a framework to support implementation of the Starting Well Core initiative. It includes guidance around how the initiative works, the payment mechanism, securing participating practices, training and resources, and communications and engagement.

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Psychological perspectives on obesity: addressing policy, practice and research priorities

British Psychological Society, September 2019

British Psychological Society report calling for government to ensure every initiative aimed at promoting a healthy weight is informed by psychological evidence. It says weight management services are best delivered by multidisciplinary teams that include psychologists. All health professionals working in obesity services should be trained in the psychological understanding of obesity so they understand the factors that can contribute to the condition and to the success or failure of treatment. It provides a series of recommendations based around the following areas:

• Reducing weight-related stigma

• Psychologically informed policy

• Standards and guidelines

• Training and supervision

• Weight management services

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Drug-related harms in homeless populations and how they can be reduced

Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, September 2019

This report finds that there is increased risk of problematic drug use associated with people who experience homelessness. There is a higher rate of drug-related deaths, infections among people who inject drugs, and multiple morbidities. People who experience homelessness and use substances have particularly complex circumstances and additional risks which require intensive long-term support. An integrated health, social care, and community care approach to the recovery and housing needs of people who are homeless would provide the optimal model of service delivery. This must include a focus on safe, stable housing and evidence-based harm reduction initiatives.

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British Journal of Psychiatry – October 2019

The October edition of British Journal of Psychiatry is now available.  This issue includes articles on occupation-specific suicide risk in England, self-harm in mid-life, and suicidal risk factors in major affective disorders.

Click here to view the table of contents.  Login with your OpenAthens account to view the full text articles.

Policy briefing: social care funding and mental health

Centre for Mental Health, September 2019

Centre for Mental Health briefing exploring what a fair and sustainable funding settlement for social care needs to look like in order to deliver parity of esteem for mental health and sufficient funding to support people of working age as well as those in later life. It reviews the current funding and provision of mental health social work for people of working age in England. It finds that mental health social work has a vital role in helping people to live independently and to secure their rights and dignity. A successful funding settlement for social care must begin with a recognition that a significant proportion of adult social care supports people of working age: it is not just for those in later life. Social services have specific responsibilities in relation to mental health, as they do for people with learning disabilities and other care needs, at all stages of life.

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