Financially, environmentally, and socially sustainable mental health services

This guide has been written by a group of experts in mental health and sustainability, in consultation with service users and patients, and strengthened by input from a local government and public health perspective. The content is primarily evidence-based but ideas deemed to be best practice by expert consensus have also been included. By the end of this guide, readers should:

• understand the concept of sustainability in mental health care, and how using
• this commissioning framework can create sustainable services
• be aware of the legislation relating to sustainability that the NHS is required
• to meet
• understand what sustainable commissioning looks like in practice
• understand how and why improving the sustainability of mental health interventions will contribute to achieving the aims of both the mental health, public health, NHS, and social care strategies, as well as improving quality and productivity
• be able to commission sustainable mental health services and interventions.

Guidance for commissioners of financially, environmentally, and socially sustainable mental health services
Joint Commissioning Panel for Mental Health, Centre for Sustainable Healthcare
October 2015

Read more here.

Personal budgets in mental health: Key points on implementation

"This briefing is part of a series of publications on personal health budgets produced by the NHS Confederation in partnership with Think Local Act Personal...Individuals who are supported to engage more effectively with their condition and with healthcare professionals have a positive experience of their care, and experience better health outcomes.”

Personal budgets in mental health: Key points on implementation
NHS Confederation
April 2015, Issue 284

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The Regional Mental Health Commissioning Networks Portal

"The Regional Mental Health Commissioning Networks Portal supports the commissioning of high quality, outcomes focused value for money mental health services. It provides networking opportunities for people across six network areas in East Midlands, West Midlands, North West, South East, South West, and Yorkshire & Humber/North East."

Find out more here.

Public sector commissioning of local mental health services from the third sector

"If commissioners are to lead the transformation of mental health services then there needs to be sufficient investment in their capacity and expertise to ensure that they have the tools and time to undertake this role."

Public sector commissioning of local mental health services from the third sector
J Rees, R Miller, H Buckingham
Third Sector Research Centre: working paper 122
May 2014

Read more here.

The challenge of change in acute mental health services

"VOCALISE can be used to explore staff perceptions of implementation climate and to assess how staff attitudes shape the successful outcomes of planned changes."

The challenge of change in acute mental health services: measuring staff perceptions of barriers to change and their relationship to job status and satisfaction using a new measure (VOCALISE)
C Laker, F Callard, C Flach, P Williams, J Sayer, T Wykes
Implementation Science, 2014, 9:23

Read more here.

Service transformation: lessons from mental health

"While nationally and internationally developed models are useful, choice of any particular model should be driven by local need, allowing flexibility for local providers to innovate."

Service transformation: lessons from mental health
H Gilburt, E Peck, B Ashton, N Edwards, C Naylor
The King's Fund
February 2014

Read more here.

Closing the gap: priorities for essential change in mental health

"High-quality mental health services with an emphasis on recovery should be commissioned in all areas, reflecting local need."

Closing the gap: priorities for essential change in mental health
Social Care, Local Government and Care Partnership Directorate
January 2014

Read more here.

Auditing and improving your mental health services

"A guide to auditing and improving your mental health services so that it is effective in supporting people with autism and people with learning disabilities."

Green Light Toolkit
Department of Health, Mental Health Network NHS Confederation, National Development Team for inclusion
November 2013

Access the toolkit here.

Starting today: the future of mental health services

"The economic impact of poor mental health is estimated to be over £100 billion to the economy each year in England alone. Yet despite this, we know that the care and treatment that we offer people with mental health problems is variable - many people with mental health problems have trouble accessing services; interventions are not always effective; services can be poor at providing a holistic response to people’s needs, for instance neglecting people’s physical health; and many simply get no help at all (some do not seek it, or give up trying due to difficulties accessing help)."

Starting today: the future of mental health services
Mental Health Foundation
September 2013

Read more here.

A new approach to delivering mental health services

"This report presents the findings of a new survey of over 2,000 young people in the UK, describing their experiences of mental health. The survey was conducted by independent polling company YouGov and sheds light on the problems of poor mental health, the associated stigma, and young people’s experience of seeking support."

Alone with my thoughts: recommendations for a new approach to young people's mental health support
MindFull
July 2013

Read more here.

Service users play vital role in improvements

"Bradford District Care Trust emphasises its vision of The Productive Series as not yet another service improvement project that will run its course, but rather as a way of working which is firmly embedded within the culture."

Service users play vital role in improvements
The Productive Mental Health Ward
NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement
June 2012

Read more here.

Mental health and the market

"Understanding how the market in mental health works is critical – both for the development of future national policy, as well as for the implementation of existing policy relating to competition and choice."

Mental health and the market
NHS Confederation
October 2012

Read more here.