Mental Health
Helping veterans find safe homes
Since March 2020 there has been a stark rise in veterans who are homeless. Local authorities are key to tackling this issue, says Richard Gammage.
Reset and renew
Steve Crocker outlines the major challenges facing children’s services – getting the right staff and protecting children’s mental health.
A twelve-point plan for ICSs
Tackling health inequalities will need central Government as well as NHS and local government action. Phil Hope and Steve Barwick offer a twelve-point plan for Integrated Care Systems – including supporting mental health
Shining a light on the opportunities offered by ICSs
Ahead of ICSs moving to a statutory footing tomorrow, Phil Hope and Steve Barwick set out 12 emerging recommendations from the Health Devolution Commission across four key policy areas.
A single vision to support good mental health
Stephen Evans describes how a chat with a colleague sparked the launch of Norwich City Council’s first ever mental wellbeing strategy.
Diversity and the role of leadership
Dawar Hashmi reports from a panel convened by the Diversity in Local Government Leadership Network. He summarises how far we have come on the equalities, diversity and inclusion journey – but stresses how much more remains to be done.
Hope for young adults in custody
Jessie Ben-Ami outlines how the West Midlands’ Always Hope project pilot is working with councils and other partners to increase the chances of rehabilitation for young care-experienced men aged 18-25 leaving prison.
Queen’s Speech: Mental health laws to be overhauled
Government will reform mental health laws to make it harder to detain people and to stop the disproportionate use of the laws against BAME communities.
Taking Integrated Care Systems to the next level
Phil Hope of the Health Devolution Commission looks at emerging best practice approaches for Integrated Care Systems, including five key financial design principles that reflect collaboration rather than competition.
Doing the right thing for children
With the direction of the Government’s policies for schools and SEND becoming clearer, the new president of the Association of Directors of Children’s Services Steve Crocker speaks to Ann McGauran about his priorities for the next year.
No child should be at the mercy of a postcode lottery
We need a national conversation about the way our mental health system fails too many children and a review of CAMHS is required, says the new president of the ADCS, Steve Crocker.
Councils should be funded to co-design child mental health hubs - report
Councils across the country should be funded to co-design open-access hubs to support young people’s mental health, a new report by think-tank Reform has suggested.
We can’t take the pain of dementia away, but we can make it easier
East Hampshire DC's second 'dementia festival' day and its directory aren’t big budget items and aren’t directly providing healthcare – 'but they are directly helping people in our communities', says Gill Kneller.
Extra money for refugee trauma recovery
Refugees minister Lord Harrington has suggested additional funding may be provided to councils to help Ukrainians’ recovery from physical and mental trauma.
A fresh vision
A new report from Newton and the County Councils Network presents a vision for what the future of children’s social care could be and defines an optimised model for delivering it, say Luke Tregidgo and James Maker.
Social workers: how to recruit and retain the best
Using mental health as a key starting point, Penna’s Sonia Tanda offers some top tips on how to retain your key workers.
Hammersmith & Fulham’s ‘exemplary’ work supporting refugees
Lord Alf Dubs says the job of welcoming refugees ‘is much greater than just a roof over their heads’ and he reflects on the support given by Hammersmith & Fulham LBC to those traumatised by war.
Cost of living crisis needs fixing – fast
Local government will have to brace itself for the rising tide of need, going back to offering support as it did after the 2010 financial crash – only this time after a decade of austerity and two years of a pandemic, says Heather Jameson.
What does living with COVID really mean for local government?
We’re not just living with the virus itself, but with the knock-on effects, says Zina Etheridge.
HMJ: People report ‘poor’ experience of using mental health services
People’s experience of mental health care is at their lowest point in eight years, a new survey has revealed.