Children’s and Adults’ Care and Education Committee - 12 November 2019 Report to the Committee by the Mental Health Champion Report by Mental Health Champion, Councillor Anita Schaper, and the Public Health Principal Officer for Mental Wellbeing & Older People's Health Improvement Purpose - To report back on the work of the Committee’s Mental Health Champion over the ​ past year, as requested by the Committee at its meeting on 22 November 2018. Recommendation - To note and refer the report for information to the Health and Wellbeing ​ Board Key Points A. As requested by the Children’s and Adults’ Care and Education Committee at its meeting on 22 November 2018 a report is attached at Annex 1 which provides an ​ ​ update on the work of the Mental Health Champion for this Committee. B. The Mental health Champion has carried out a review of the current work taking place in Kingston’s secondary schools relating to promoting good mental health and supporting young people with mental health problems and has made five recommendations about how these can be enhanced, C. The Public Health Lead for mental health has responded to the recommendations and suggested how they can be progressed. Context 1. At its meeting on 16 October 2018 the Council received a report from the Health and Wellbeing Board meeting on 13 September 2018 recommending the appointment of a Mental Health Champion for each of the five strategic committees. Full Council appointed Councillor Anita Schaper as the Mental Health Champion for this Committee. 2. The role of the champions as set out in that report is: ● to be a leader and advocate for mental health on behalf of the Council and specifically for their committee ● to work collaboratively with the Mental Health Champions from other strategic committees to provide political leadership in all aspects of the Council’s work that impact on mental health, particularly the promotion of mental health and the prevention of mental illness as described by the chief medical officer in her 2013 report Annual Report of the Chief Medical Officer 2013 Public Mental Health Priorities: Investing in the Evidence and to ensure that our key initiatives on the Prevention Concordat for Better Mental Health , Thrive Kingston , and Time to change, are progressed. ● to receive a paper on the Mental Health Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA), and be assured that relevant recommendations relevant to their committees are implemented ● to work with officers who have a role in promoting mental health and preventing mental illness. ● to attend any relevant training provided by Public Health England or other partners supporting member champions including Mental Health First Aid training provided by Kingston Public Health. 3. The MH Champions initiative arose out of “Thrive Kingston: A Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy for the people of Kingston by the people of Kingston (2017 to 2021)” which included a recommendation to: “increase the awareness and capability of policy makers, organisations, groups and providers of services to recognise risks to mental wellbeing and to respond in a way that reduces risk.” The current Administration set out its aim to “weave a mental health friendly ethos into all policies and services and appoint a Mental Health Champion Councillor”. More than 100 local authorities having a recognised Council member whose role is to advocate for mental health and champion the cause in their community. Member champions across England are now advocating for mental health in Council policies and strategies, building partnerships with health services, schools and businesses, and working with their communities to help to combat stigma and improve understanding. 4. Public Health England offers advice, information and a nationwide network to member champions for mental health and their councils in order to support leadership in local communities for better mental health. Mental Health Champions will be able to access Public Health England support and training to help them with this role. The Mental Health Champions will oversee the implementation of any recommendations relevant to their Committee from the forthcoming Better Mental Health Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA), Thrive Kingston and the Health in All policies programme. They will also ensure all relevant staff are encouraged to undertake Health Impact Assessment (HIA) training to support effective HIA on policies. They will work together with the four other mental health champions of the Council’s strategic committees to ensure a comprehensive approach to improving the mental health of Kingston’s residents. 5. The Health and Wellbeing Board will support and receive regular updates on the work of the Mental Health Champions to keep the Board updated on progress for RBK to take the steps necessary to sign up to the Prevention Concordat for Better Mental Health Programme including an update of the mental health JSNA. 6. This Committee received a report on the specific role of the Mental Health Champions for this Committee at its meeting on 22 November 2018 and agreed to support Councillor Schaper in her role and asked to receive back a report on her work at a future meeting of the Committee . It was suggested that it might be helpful if Dr Moore, as Kingston Clinical Commissioning Group Clinical Lead on Mental Health, be invited to Councillor Schaper’s meetings with the Public Health lead for mental health, Liz Trayhorn, as part of the joining up of discussions between the Council and KCCG on mental health initiatives. Report of the Mental Health Champion 7. Councillor Schaper visited 5 schools. All schools are involved in the student mh ​ ​ conference and MHA programme whereby 10 year 9 students attend the conference and become mh ambassadors for a year. Overall feedback suggests ​ students are better engaging with each other, within their peer groups and with staff members as a direct result of the Mental Health Ambassadors programme. Ambassadors are raising awareness of mental health issues and spreading this awareness across year groups. 8. Some schools have also received funding from the STP to develop a whole school ​ approach to mental health “Trailblazer” funding and have noted the benefits derived from specialist staff being on-hand to help and support students, to a reduction in anxiety and absenteeism amongst students. 9. Some schools have raised the need for more advice in terms of identifying and ​ supporting young carers. 10. Councillor Schaper’s recommendations in the report at Annex 1 are: ​ ​ 1. For local partners responsible for commissioning CAMHS services in Kingston ​ to ensure that the future development of mental health support in schools in the Borough (including sixth form schools) is informed by the evaluations of the national “Trailblazer” pilots to ensure local services follow best practice. 2. For there to be a recommendation from Public Health to extend the MHA Programme to include primary schools (years 5 and 6), including transitioning support in year 6 to secondary school by the start of the school year, September 2022. 3. For Public Health to promote and ensure school link-up of the MHA Programme in terms of consistency of delivery across the Borough. 4. For there to be greater clarity amongst CCG Commissioners and Providers on funding opportunities in 2020/2021and 2021/2022 for secondary schools, including the MHA Programme and support and to ensure it is properly resourced. 5. To continue with my Mental Health Champion work visiting secondary schools, and in particular, drawing on the JSNA on young carers, to find out from staff members, including Mental Health Leads what interventions schools are delivering in order to identify young carers and end stigma and discrimination. 11. The Public Health team will progress these recommendations as follows: Recommendation 1: The NHS long term plan states that “Over the coming decade the ​ ​ goal is to ensure that 100% of children and young people who need specialist care can access it.” All SWL boroughs have agreed through their Health and Wellbeing Boards, ​ CCG Governing bodies, school governors and trustees in participating schools and CAMHS partnership boards to work in partnership with children, young people, parents and carers to deliver these school based mental health teams. At the end of the trailblazer funding, SWLHCP we will be conducting a formal evaluation of the Whole School Approach to inform future commissioning decisions. Tackling inequalities is one of the requirements of the new trailblazer projects and the Kingston cluster will endeavour to focus on specific groups within this programme of work who are at higher risk of mental health problems and provide specific targeted actions where needed. Recommendation 2: There are already plans underway to pilot the MHA Programme in ​ ​ primary schools. The conference will include a consideration of transition and ensuring pupils have strategies in place to support them through this period. The needs of children who do not attend school will be addressed through other programmes such as the young people's risky behaviour needs assessment implementation plan. Recommendation 3: The Council’s Public Health Policy Officer: Mental Health ​ ​ ​ Improvement will be working with the School Health Practitioners to find out from teachers ​ ​ involved in the MHA how they would like to link up and share best practice. Recommendation 4: The Council is committed to continue funding Your Healthcare to ​ deliver the student mental health conference and MHA programme in the foreseeable future. There will be ongoing monitoring of the programme to ensure that the mental health ambassadors are representative of the student population and that the action plans that schools develop consider the needs of all of the pupils in the school. Proposal and Option 12. This report is for information as requested by the Committee and the Committee is therefore recommended to note the report. 13. The Committee could refer the report, for information, to the Health and Wellbeing Board if it chooses.