A partnership of leading mental health charities has launched a series of briefings to help develop better local mental health services. Following the publication of the implementation framework for the Government’s mental health strategy, these briefings set out the steps that local authorities and NHS commissioning groups can take to improve mental health care, treatment and support.

The short PDF documents explain in practical terms the ways that the new Clinical Commissioning Groups, Local Authorities, Directors of Public Health, Overview and Scrutiny Committees, Local Healthwatch and Health and Wellbeing Boards can make sure that there are good quality mental health services in their local area as well as improving mental health and wellbeing for everyone in the community.

No Health without Mental Health: a guide for Clinical Commissioning Groups (PDF)
This briefing sets out the crucial role of local NHS commissioners in improving mental health care, treatment and support.

No Health without Mental Health: a guide for local HealthWatch (PDF)
This briefing sets out the crucial role of Local HealthWatch in ensuring that action is taken locally to achieve the strategy’s objectives and improve both mental health for all and the quality of support offered to people using mental health services.

No Health without Mental Health: a guide for Health and Wellbeing Boards (PDF)
This briefing sets out the crucial role Health and Wellbeing Boards can play in improving the mental health of everyone in their communities and in enhancing the support offered to some of the most vulnerable and excluded members of society, to deliver duties enshrined in the Health and Social Care Act and relevant Outcomes Frameworks.

No Health without Mental Health: a guide for Directors of Public Health (PDF)
This briefing sets out the crucial role that local Directors of Public Health can play in improving the mental health of everyone in their communities and in tackling some the widest and most entrenched inequalities in health, to deliver duties enshrined in the Health and Social Care Act and Public Health Outcomes Framework.

No Health without Mental Health: a guide for Local Authorities (PDF)
This briefing looks at the role of local authorities in providing strategic leadership within communities and as commissioners, in particular of children’s services and adult social care.

No Health without Mental Health: a guide for Overview and Scrutiny Committees (PDF)
This briefing looks at the role of members of Overview and Scrutiny Committees. Councillors will frequently engage with people at risk of or experiencing mental health problems through surgeries, casework and community activity. Members of Overview and Scrutiny Committees also have an opportunity to influence the council’s strategic approach to mental health.

Sean Duggan, chief executive at Centre for Mental Health said:

Mental health problems account for almost one quarter ill-health in the UK. Every year the costs of mental health conditions run into billions and greatly reduces the sufferers quality of life. As these new systems in health and social care services emerge there is a great deal that those involved in commissioning and delivering services can do to ensure that mental health conditions are given ‘parity of esteem’ with physical health conditions.

Mental health conditions can affect anyone but with effective promotion, prevention and early intervention their impact can be reduced dramatically. Every one of these organisations has a part to play in improving the care and support available for people with a mental illness as well as promoting good mental health for people of all ages.