Mark Sheldon

Guidance to Support Information Sharing by Mental Health Services

Information sharing is a fundamental tool in the delivery of safe and effective services and is one for which senior managers need to take personal responsibility and ownership.

This guidance considers those circumstances in which there is a conscious decision to share information in the best interests of the individual and wider society.

Download from the DH Website here

Following the completion this year of a research project a set of guidelines have been developed for English speaking countries about first aid for a range of developing mental disorders and mental health crisis situations.

These guidelines were produced from the consensus of a panel of experts and consist of first aid actions that have been rated as important or essential by the expert panel.

Guidelines on the following are available:-

• Depression
• Suicidal thoughts and behaviours
• Psychosis
• Panic attacks
• Non-suicidal self injury
• Adult trauma
• Child trauma
• Eating disorders
• Problem drinking
• Problem drug use
• Problem cannabis use

They can be accessed on the MHFA website http://www.mhfa.com.au

With changes to some of the eligibility criteria for Direct Payments that apply from November new guidance has been released by the DH .

Taken from the Executive Summary

The aim of this guidance is to assist councils with social services responsibilities in making direct payments. It applies both to children’s and to adult services. It replaces Community Care, Services for Carers and Children’s Services (Direct Payments) Guidance, which was issued in 2003.

This guidance has been written to reflect the changes introduced by the Mental Capacity Act 2005, the Health and Social Care Act 2008, and the Community Care, Services for Carers and Children’s Services (Direct Payments) (England) Regulations 2009.

Download from the DH website here

From HE Academy website

The Special Interest Group for Mental Health would like to invite UK educators, from all disciplines, who teach ‘mental health’ (in academic and practice settings), to an event at the Centre of Excellence in Interdisciplinary Mental Health, University of Birmingham on, 14th December, 2009, 10am to 4pm.

To date, there has been no UK wide, cross disciplinary special interest group providing a regular opportunity for educators to meet face to face – with a view to exploring common issues and challenges, sharing resources and influencing policy and practice in the field of mental health. Arguably, this has hampered educators’ capacity to shape and respond to new developments.

More details visit http://www.health.heacademy.ac.uk/news-events/eventsbox/2009/mh141209/view

(Via the CYP Website)

Figures obtained by CYP Now show varying use of restraint and solitary confinement in youth custody.

In the space of only a year the number of times restraint was used in YOIs, which hold the majority of young people in custody, went up by 25 per cent – from 3,409 between April 2007 and March 2008 to 4,274 between April 2008 and March 2009.

The full article can be found on their website here

Via the DWP Website

Thousands of people with mental health problems will get extra support managing their condition to remain in the workplace, Jim Knight, Minister of State for Employment and Welfare Reform announced today.

Early indications of the government led pilots, run in conjunction with the mental health charity Mind, have shown to be 90 per cent successful in helping people with fluctuating mental health conditions retain their jobs.

Based on this trial, the Government is now looking to extend the support, with an expectation of rolling out nationally with a range of providers.

Read more on their website here

The aim of this consultation is to enable stakeholders to consider the evidence gathered and to provide the opportunity to comment, in particular on:

* major gaps in the evidence gathered, including papers in the published literature that we have not been able to identify
* queries around the interpretation of the evidence, both of single studies and the reviewed material as a whole
* the applicability of the evidence and its usefulness for the development of guidance
* issues relating to equality
* issues relating to cost-effectiveness

The consultation on this evidence will run from 19 August to 17 September 2009

More information on the NICE webpage here

Regulator says NHS must do more to protect children from neglect and abuse

CQC publishes national review of NHS child safeguarding

Survey findings include:

• On average, only about half of healthcare staff eligible in each NHS trust are recorded as having up-to-date basic training (54%, level one)
• On average, one in three GPs eligible in each PCT are recorded as having up-to-date training (35%, level two). In 2007/8, around one in ten consultations in GP practices were with children aged 14 or under.
• On average, over half of eligible clinical staff in emergency or urgent care (hospitals) are recorded as having up-to-date training (58%, level two).  In 2007/8, around three million children under 16 attended A&E.

Download the report and summary report in different formats