When: 6 April 2011
Where: Royal College of Pathologists, London
The Coalition Government published its first Comprehensive Spending Review in October 2010. The review saw a commitment from the Ministry of Justice to reduce offending and make savings through investing in mental health liaison services to divert people with mental health problems away from the justice system and into treatment. The Spending Review stated, ‘the Government will also take forward proposals to invest in mental health liaison services at police stations and courts to intervene at an early stage, diverting mentally ill offenders away from the justice system and into treatment. This will be rolled out nationally over the Spending Review period, subject to business case approval’.
The Ministry of Justice Green Paper 'Breaking the Cycle: Effective punishment, rehabilitation and sentencing of offenders' and the recently published Mental Health strategy 'No health without mental health' further states that by 2014 people in contact with the criminal justice system will have improved access to mental health services.
The seminar
- Provided members with the opportunity to hear best practice case studies and explore how providers can best deliver these services.
- Provided an opportunity to learn from both experts and peers
- Helped to shape the debate on how mental health providers and their partners can rise to the challenge of diversion at a time of austerity, financial challenge and reform.
Speakers included
- Karen Dowman, chief executive, Sandwell Mental Health and Social Care NHS Trust (chair)
- Louis Appleby, national director for health and criminal justice, Department of Health - download presentation
- Andy Bell, deputy chief executive, Centre for Mental Health
The remaining presentations will be available soon.
Delegates heard case studies from the following organisations:
- Together: Working for Wellbeing
- Wolverhampton Primary Care Trust
- South Staffordshire and Shropshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
- Greater Manchester West Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust.
The agenda can be found here.