Issue - meetings

Report CS14090

The joint Council/Bromley Clinical Commissioning Group (BCCG) contract with Bromley and Lewisham MIND for community support services for people with mental ill health (previously known as day services) was due to expire in March 2015.  This was one of a number of contracts providing similar services, and a review had been carried out, led by the CCG, to ensure that they remained fit for purpose and value for money.  It was proposed that the CCG would lead on consultation and procuring a new service and the Council would contribute £100,000 to the new service to meet its statutory responsibilities, providing a saving of £92,381.  The new system would provide more capacity at a lower price - as well as these savings, the new service would provide a clearer system, remove duplication and provide faster paths to employment and training for some users.

In response to questions, it was confirmed that although there would be a single point of access for the new service, this meant a single process rather than one specific geographical location. The figure of 25% of service users who would be eligible for Council services related to those entitled under section 117. The service was for adults including older people regardless of age, although some of the data available was for the 18-65 age group. Services would be free at the point of delivery, so personal budgets would not be affected.

It was explained that the proportions of people likely to suffer with mental ill health/psychological symptoms were 1 in 3 during the course of a lifetime and 1 in 4 at any one time. These proportions derived from GP codings based on World Health Organisation definitions. The Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) would provide updated local figures in the next few weeks.

RESOLVED that the Portfolio Holder be recommended to endorse the new approach set out to strengthen early intervention and prevention services for people with mental ill health and agree that a section 256 agreement be entered into with the BCCG for £100,000 per annum for a period of three years plus two years to run concurrently with the new contract.