Agenda item

(To receive a report by Jane Marshall (Director of Strategy and Performance (Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust)) and Lorraine Graves, (General Manager, Specialist Adult Services (Lincolnshire County Council)), which provides a status report detailing the latest developments in the use of the Mental Health Promotion Funded Managed Care Network)

Consideration was given to a report from Jane Marshall (Director of Strategy, Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (LPFT)) and Lorraine Graves (General Manager, Specialist Adult Services), which detailed the latest developments in the use of the Mental Health Promotion Funded Managed Care Network (MCN), which was run by LPFT.  

It was noted that the network was set up in response to reductions in the Adult Social Care budget.  The aim of the network was to "improve people's mental health and quality of life by helping them to find personally relevant, safe and effective support".

The Committee received a presentation which provided members with more detailed information in relation to the following areas: -

·         What we do;

·         How we are different;

·         Wave 7;

·         The Managed Care Network for Mental Health;

·         Social Determinants;

·         System Working: Self Care and Prevention Strategy;

·         Health and Social Care: Nottingham University Independent Evaluation 2015;

·         Impact Assessment 2015: Phase 2 – Achievement of Strategic Objectives;

·         Before the MCN;

·         Joining the Dots;

·         Personal Outcomes;

·         Key Opportunities;

·         Key Challenges;

·         Current Strategic Developments; and

·         MCN Activities.

The Chairman invited Simon Hallam (Projects Co-ordinator for Tonic Health) to address the Committee about the work of Tonic Health, which had received support and funding through the MCN to provide Dementia Support in South Holland.  The ways in which dementia services were provided by Tonic Health were discussed, including Tonic Health's staffing arrangements.

The Projects Co-ordinator invited Members of the Committee to attend one of Tonic Health's weekly Focus Clubs in Spalding, which provided support to patients and/or their carers with dementia.  Members of the Committee welcomed this invitation.

Members were provided with the opportunity to ask questions to the officers present in relation to the information contained with the report and presentation, and some of the points raised included the following: -

·         It was recognised that the concept of the MCN was an innovative one, which aimed to "improve people's mental health and quality of life by helping them to find personally relevant, safe and effective support";

·         It was confirmed that the services provided by Tonic Health were not fully funded by the MCN.  In addition to the funding received through the MCN, users of Tonic Health contributed £20 per person, per Focus Club meeting.  It was noted that Tonic Health received 75% of its funding via the MCN;

·         The Projects Co-ordinator advised that in recent years the diagnosis rates for dementia were on the increase and therefore there was an increase in demand for support services for dementia care;

·         It was advised that the employees of Tonic Health were employed on a self-employed or voluntary basis.  It was advised that this was owing to the non-recurrent nature of the funding received through the MCN and therefore the service being unable to commit to any ongoing contracts of employment;

·         The Committee was advised that it was typical for organisations that were funded through the MCN to have a combination of both paid employees and volunteers;

·         Members were advised that Tonic Health publicised its services via its Facebook page; the Johnson Hospital's Memory Team; its website; through the local free newspaper; and via promotion through local community groups;

·         It was advised that funding decisions were made on an annual basis and rolled out via funding waves.  The MCN was part way through delivering wave 7 of funding and details of waves 1 – 6 were provided as part of the Committee's report.  It was queried whether there were any waves beyond 1 – 7, and if there were any examples of projects which had since become self-sufficient.  Members were advised that the Shine Network was a good example which had been established through an earlier wave and had recently received charitable status.  It was hoped that there would be further waves of funding.  However, this was dependent on the MCN continuing to receive funding.  It was noted that the MCN was funded through the Better Care Fund (BCF), but that the Committee was advised of the uncertainty about the future of the BCF;

·         The Projects Co-ordinator advised that he would be willing to assist any community group in establishing a similar organisation to Tonic Health in another area of the County.  It was also advised that the Shine Network could also offer this kind of support; 

·         It was commented that there appeared to be an issue with the equality of the geographic distribution of funds.  Members were advised that the map on page 16 of the report only detailed wave 7 funding and it was highlighted that there had been six previous waves, which had distributed funds equitably across the County.  Officers offered to circulate a map detailing the distribution of funding across the county for the previous waves;

·         It was confirmed that the non-recurrent funding provided by the MCN to the projects in each wave should be used as 'kick-start' funding with an aim of each project becoming self-sufficient going forward.  The Committee raised concerns over whether this would be achievable and suggested that the MCN should continue to support each project to enable this to happen;

·         It was confirmed that LPFT would continue to monitor the impact of the projects in the future and report to Lincolnshire County Council as part of ongoing monitoring and reporting.  It was suggested that any measurable outcomes from each project was included as part of the reporting process to enable the MCN to demonstrate the benefits of this way of working;

·         It was suggested that the MCN could hold an annual awards ceremony to celebrate the work of the projects;

·         The MCN benefited both the NHS and adult social care;

·         It was highlighted that NHS England would be visiting Lincolnshire County Council in April 2018 and the MCN would be promoted to NHS England as part of their visit;

·         It was noted that the Committee would be considering an item on Obesity at a future meeting and the Director of Strategy (LPFT) offered, to attend to discuss connection between mental health and obesity, should this be required;

·         It was requested that a further update was provided to the Committee in six months, which would also include information on the benefits of each project and how LPFT would enable each project to become self-sufficient; and

·         The Chairman thanked Simon Hallam (Projects Co-ordinator for Tonic Health) for attending the meeting.

RESOLVED

(1)  That the information presented be noted.

(2)  That a further update be presented to the Committee in six months.