Residents encouraged to share their views on proposals to improve the Council’s mental health support

The Council is asking residents to share their views on proposals to improve its mental health support service.

The Council currently offers a dedicated support service to people with severe and enduring mental health needs via day services, supported living accommodation and outreach support in the community.

The proposals outline a service focused on delivering short-term, recovery-focused support to prevent, reduce or delay longer-term and more complex and severe needs. The aim is to strengthen the service to ensure that it is a modern and valuable offer that can meet growing demand in a cost-effective way.

The redesigned service would support more people across the whole borough and have strong links to community and voluntary groups to support individuals within their communities, providing the tools and techniques to manage their mental health.  

Where individuals require longer term, ongoing support, this will be met by a mix of support from external providers and community support. 

Cabinet member for adult social care and health, Councillor Val Armstrong, said: “Our mental health service’s support offer has remained largely unchanged for a number of years. During that time we have seen a real increase in awareness of mental health and a shift to supporting people based on their strengths and this has helped us to focus on what type of service we need to best support people who need it.

“The number of people needing mental health support has increased over the last few years and we want to ensure our service can support as many people as possible. Working with our health partners we want a real focus on recovery for people who come to us for help.”

The Council’s Mental Health Champion, Councillor Gareth Gould, said: “Our proposals for a modern and effective service mean we will work with every person who accesses the service to tailor support to their individual needs, operating within their local area and connecting with local community groups.

“I’d encourage residents, particularly those who access this service, or have experience of accessing support in the past, to share their views and help us deliver the right support to enable people to recover and live their best lives.”

The consultation is now live and will remain open until Monday, 5 September. There are a number of ways to take part:

• complete the survey at: www.cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk/adultmentalhealthconsultation
• complete a paper questionnaire and send your response back to us at the following address: NWA Research, PO Box 309, Stockton on Tees, TS20 1XP
• email your views to: norma.wilburn@nwaresearch.co.uk

• telephone 01642 360982 and quote ‘Mental Health In-House Provider Services Consultation’
• request a copy of our consultation in alternative formats, including hard copy and easy read, using the contact details above.