Mental Health
An uplifting social alliance
Young people with learning disabilities want to work, but more supported internships are needed. To coincide with National Supported Internship Day, The MJ and DFN Project SEARCH held a round table debate to discuss how local authorities can help. Mark Whitehead reports.
Southend-on-Sea says other councils soaking up supported living capacity
Southend-on-Sea City Council has revealed a significant amount of its supported living capacity is taken up by out-of-area placements from other councils.
When prevention is the real cure
Greg Fell draws from examples across the British Isles to highlight some of the work done by directors of public health to support residents to lead longer and healthier lives.
Call for greater children's services involvement in policy
Children’s services should be more involved in the policy that has led to police no longer attending non-emergency callouts, mental health experts have urged.
Tackling homelessness
Homelessness is piling pressure on squeezed council budgets. The MJ and the National Audit Office teamed up to bring council chief executives and senior managers together in Manchester to get under the skin of the issue. Paul Marinko reports.
Networking opportunities
Decisions made by local authorities have a major impact on residents’ mental health, and that is why Worcestershire has signed up to the Mentally Healthier Councils Network. Lisa McNally explains.
ALACE warns of mental health risk from inspections
The chief executives’ trade union has revealed it already supports officers responding to inspection reports, as mental health fears grow with the emergence of watchdog Oflog.
Preventing construction industry suicides
The public sector is failing in its role in tackling mental health in the construction industry, particularly around suicide among young men, says Stephen Young.
Growing pressure of mental health on children’s social care services
A new study has revealed the increasing demands and complexity around mental health being placed on children’s social care.
How can councils protect health in the face of financial strain?
Jennie Leggat highlights the impacts of local government underfunding on people’s health and how using Health Impact Assessment could help minimise these.
NCASC: Government must make 'some difficult decisions' on children's services
The Government must make ‘some difficult decisions’ if it is ‘not able or willing’ to provide funding to meet the financial pressures in children’s services, the Association of Directors of Children’s Services has said.
Making sure accountancy stays rewarding and exciting
'Technology and social value are with us now, but we are reacting, not leading. We need to start planning to use it to retain and attract talent', says Michael Hudson.
Fresh concern over police withdrawal
Council directors are concerned police forces could end involvement in ‘welfare checks’ as part of controversial care reforms to stop attending non-emergency mental health callouts.
Unlocking the power of peers in mental health support
Peer support for people with mental health needs is having a broad impact in Southwark, including better access to support, new career paths and better health outcomes, says Salil Meech Mazumdar.
Cutting through the stigma
Amanda Hill-Dixon gives her analysis of the findings of a report into poverty and social exclusion.
King's Speech: Increased funding for mental health and smoking cessation
The King’s Speech has promised ministers will invest at least £2.3bn a year so an extra two million people can get mental health support.
Call for faster family hubs rollout
The creation of a new network of family hubs should ‘go further and faster,’ an expert has urged.
Putting prevention first
Abigail Langley puts the high level of strategic priority placed on prevention in South Norfolk and Broadland under the spotlight, but she says investment does not match collective ambitions and localities’ needs.
Councils 'vital' to social prescribing success
Children’s charity Barnardo’s has said local authorities are ‘vital’ to the success of social prescribing as it called for a national strategy.
LGA seeks assessment over mental health withdrawal cost
The Local Government Association (LGA) is seeking an assessment of how cash saved when police attend fewer mental health callouts could cover fresh social care demand.
