Mental Health Strategy: FOI release

Information requested

• What progress has been made on a review and refresh of the 2017-2017 Mental Health Strategy? If that review and refresh has not yet taken place, what is the timescale for the establishment of that review and refresh?
• Was a new website, offering tips and advice from mental health experts and people with lived experience, launched in Spring 2022? If not, what is the delivery timetable for this new website?
• What resources have been/ are being allocated to promoting that new website?
• How much funding has been provided to support the national implementation of Mental Health in Primary Care teams?
• What progress has been made as part of efforts to expand the Digital Mental Health Programme?
• Are community based mental health and wellbeing services currently available in all local authority areas?
• Has mental health training been embedded for staff in key public sector organisations? Please outline which public sector organisations have embedded the training and when, and which have not.

Response

I attacha copy of most of the information you requested in the format you asked for.

What progress has been made on a review and refresh of the 2017-2017 Mental Health Strategy? If that review and refresh has not yet taken place, what is the timescale for the establishment of that review and refresh?

All of the information you have requested is available from the following websites:
A new Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy - consultation - Scottish Government - Citizen Space,
A Fairer, Greener Scotland: Programme for Government 2021-22 (www.gov.scot)

We will publish the new strategy in 2022, and the live public consultation on the new Strategy closes on 9 September.

Under section 25(1) of FOISA, we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you. If, however, you do not have internet access to obtain this information from the website(s) listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy.

Was a new website, offering tips and advice from mental health experts and people with lived experience, launched in Spring 2022? If not, what is the delivery timetable for this new website? What resources have been/ are being allocated to promoting that new website?

On 26 May 2022 the Scottish Government, in partnership with NHS 24, announced the launch of Mind to Mind, a new site to support the mental wellbeing of the general population in Scotland. Mind to Mind showcases advice from people with lived experience of mental health and wellbeing challenges and related professionals. The launch of the Mind to Mind website was supported by a marketing campaign running across digital, radio and social media.

How much funding has been provided to support the national implementation of Mental Health in Primary Care teams?

The 2021-22 Programme for Government includes a commitment that “by 2026, every GP Practice will have access to a mental health and wellbeing service, funding 1,000 additional dedicated staff who can help grow community mental health resilience and direct social prescribing”. Funding of £1.5 million was allocated last year from the Mental Health Recovery and Renewal fund to support the establishment of local planning groups, enabling the development of longer term plans for the implementation of the Services up to 2026. On the basis of the plans developed, funding will be issued this year to support the commencement of recruitment and employment of the new staff.

The Scottish Government does not hold a global figure for the percentage of practices with dedicated mental health professionals. However, at 31st March 2022, nearly 80% of GP practices across Scotland had access to a Mental Health Worker under the Primary Care Improvement Fund (PCIF) and Action 15 alone. Further detail is set out in the latest PCIF data which was published on 21st June 2022 - (Primary Care Improvement Plans: Summary of Implementation Progress at March 2022)

In total, 259.9 WTE mental health workers have been recruited under the PCIF as at March 2022. Under Action 15 of the Mental Health Strategy 2017-27, an additional 356.1 WTE posts were recruited to GP practices by the end of the commitment. Further detail is available in the quarterly performance update on Action 15 implementation published on 12 July 2022 (Mental health workers: quarterly performance reports - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)). In total, we have allocated almost £84 million since 2018-19 to enable recruitment to the Action 15 posts.

What progress has been made as part of efforts to expand the Digital Mental Health Programme?

The Scottish Government is the first government in the world to rollout a national programme of digital therapies and resources to support mental health. Computerised Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (cCBT) is an effective intervention providing a suite of computer-based treatment options across all territorial boards. It is an evidenced based, self-guided digital therapy available to adults aged 16 years or over. Since March 2020, we have increased treatment options nationally to 22. We have expanded the range of self-referral options of our cCBT products so that people can access cCBT treatments for generalised depression, anxiety and insomnia at the click of a link, without needing a referral from a GP or mental health professional. We have also increased access to therapist led internet enabled Cognitive Behavioural Therapy services across all territorial Health Boards and increased treatment numbers.

A national platform for group therapy has been developed to allow Near Me, to be used for patient facing group video consultations. Groups of up to 30 people are currently possible with developers working on groups of up to 70 in a future upgrade.

Are community based mental health and wellbeing services currently available in all local authority areas?

Community-based Mental Health services are available in all local authority areas. The oversight and development of Community Mental Health services is the responsibility of local territorial Health Boards and/or Health and Social Care Partnerships, and you may wish to contact them directly for specific information relating to Community Mental Health.

Through the £15 million annual funding given to local authorities by the Scottish Government via the children and young people’s Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Supports and Services Framework, over 230 new and enhanced community-based supports for children and young people are now in place across the country, with services available in all 32 local authority areas.

Through the Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for adults £21 million was made available to grassroots, community groups in 2021/22 and a further £15 million has been made available in 2022/2023 to continue for a second year of the Fund, bringing the total level of investment to £36 million over 2 years. The Fund tackles the impact of social isolation, loneliness and mental health inequalities made worse by the pandemic and builds capacity within community organisations and grass roots groups to support the mental health and wellbeing of individuals. Over 1800 awards were made in 2021/22 to a wide range of community mental health projects across all 32 local authorities in Scotland.

Has mental health training been embedded for staff in key public sector organisations? Please outline which public sector organisations have embedded the training and when, and which have not.

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide all of the information you have requested because an exemption(s) under section(s) 17(1) (b) of FOISA applies to that information.

However, a range of face-to-face training and digital learning resources are available to staff in public sector bodies. Examples include the programmes offered through Public Health Scotland (e.g. Scotland’s Mental Health First Aid, Applied Suicide Intervention SkillsTraining) and through NHS Education for Scotland (e.g. national trauma training, psychological first aid, Ask Tell Respond).

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.

FOI 202200313498 - Information released - Annex A

File type

Excel document

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59.5 kB