Decision details

Committee to receive the Annual Report of the Director of Public Health.

The Chairman introduced the report of the Director of Public Health which is a “call to action” on the issue of mental health in Barnet.  The Chairman invited Councillor Helena Hart, Chairman of the Barnet Health and Well-being Board, Dr. Andrew Howe, the Director of Public Health (Harrow and Barnet Councils) and Rachel Wells, a Senior Consultant in Public Health (Barnet and Harrow Councils), to the table.

Councillor Helena Hart stressed the importance of the issue of Mental Health.  She informed the Committee that the Health and Wellbeing Board had put Mental Health at the top of the agenda for the Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy.  The Committee noted that the strategy went across all ages and covered from pregnancy to old age.  Councillor Hart informed the Committee that when the Board had considered the report, they had heard from three residents who had shared their experiences of mental health problems and how they had been helped back into work. 

Councillor Hart noted the “Five Ways to Mental Health”, as set out in the report, which were:

1.    Connect

2.    Get active

3.    Take Notice

4.    Learn

5.    Give

Councillor Hart also informed the Committee that earlier that day, the Adults Substance Misuse Service had been launched.  The Committee noted that it was a fully integrated treatment and recovery service. 

Ms. Wells noted that the “Five Ways” could be promoted in a number of ways in both formal and informal settings.  She noted that such settings could be gardening, learning to cook or through children’s centres.

A Member of the Committee complimented the quality of the report and welcomed the theme of early intervention throughout.

A Member questioned what the Committee could do to raise the profile of mental health.  Dr. Howe commented that there was an increasing number of campaigns such as anti-stigma which got people talking about the issue which is in turn good for changing societal attitudes.  Dr. Howe emphasised the need to look at future communication campaigns, getting the community involved and considering what families can do to improve mental health.

A Member noted that Barnet has a large number of parks and open spaces and questioned how their use could be better promoted.  Ms. Wells advised that work had been taking place on the Parks and Open Spaces Strategy to see how different parks could be used at different times.  She also commented on how having access to a park or open space can help to improve a person’s mental wellbeing.

The Vice Chairman informed the Committee that following the last meeting of the Health and Wellbeing Board, he had attended a meeting on 28 January 2016 about peer support.  He stressed the important link between peer support and mental wellbeing.  He also informed the Committee that, whilst at the meeting, he had met an Officer from the Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health Trust who had said he would be interested in showing the Committee around the Trust’s acute unit.  The Governance Officer in attendance undertook to liaise with the Officer outside of the meeting and arrange a visit. 

A Member referred to the potential economic savings that could be made by interventions to treat mental disorders.  Responding to a comment from a Member, Dr Howe noted that the figures were based on robust evidence from national trials and noted that approximately 50% of sickness absences were to do with either stress or mild mental health issues. 

A Member questioned if there were resources to try to reduce these absences within Barnet.  Dr Howe informed the Committee that there were resources for work place health and that Public Health were working with HR and would need to work with their partners and businesses in order to be successful. 

A Member questioned what the Committee could do to ensure that the issue of mental wellbeing remained high on the agenda.  Ms. Wells undertook to discuss this with workplace colleagues.

The Chairman noted that Councillor Stock had made her maiden speech on the issue of exercise and commented on the link with mental wellbeing.

Dr. Howe informed the Committee that the Schools Wellbeing Programme is a successful start for mental health prevention in schools and Children’s Centres. 

The Committee noted that the number of children with Mental Health problems had increased.  Dr. Howe said that money should be spent on the prevention of mental health problems, not just the treatment. 

A Member questioned if there were any particular ethnic groups associated with having common mental health problems.  Ms. Wells said that mental health problems tended to affect groups in a similar way.  She noted that some ethnic groups show higher incidences of mental health problems but it is not clear if it is as a result of misdiagnosis. 

Referring to the report, the Chairman noted that about a half of mental health problems are established by the age of 14 and about 10% of school-age children had a mental health problem.  Ms. Wells commented on the importance of intervening with the family.

The Chairman referred to the section of the report that outlined the costs of mental ill health and noted that the report stated that …“in context London Boroughs spend £550 million a year on social care to treat mental disorders and £960 million on benefits to support people with mental health issues”  The Chairman noted that this was a vast sum of money and commented on how good it had been to hear from people with mental health conditions about how getting back into work had led to them being less isolated. 

A Member referred to the report and commented that the proportion of 16 to 18 year olds not in employment, education or training in Barnet was the fourth lowest nationally. 

Dr. Howe informed the Committee that the Chief Executive of NHS England had visited “Boost” in Burnt Oak and was shown how the team was undertaking joined up working to help get people into work, whilst introducing them to health coaches.  The Committee noted the excellent results of “Boost”. 

A Member referred to psychological therapies in Barnet as a way to get people into work and noted that provision was inconsistent around the country.  Dr. Howe undertook to provide the Committee with information on provision within Barnet. 

RESOLVED that:-

1.    That the committee considers the Annual Report of the Director of Public Health 2015 (ADPHR) – The Five Ways to Wellbeing in Barnet (Appendix 1), and the proposed actions outlined in the report, and endorses the responses to the mental health challenge.

2.    That committee considers and comments on the recommendations of the activities / actions outlined under sections 2.1 of the report and in Appendix 1.

3.    The Committee requests to be provided with information regarding the provision of psychological therapies within Barnet as set out above.