ECCs outcome is for children, adults and families to be able to access social networks and feel a connection to their communities. They need to receive support locally regardless of the agency or support mechanism (Primary healthcare, Social Care or community).
The market needs to promote and support outcomes as defined by adults with mental illness in Essex. This needs to be recovery focused and supporting individuals to build resilience would include signposting and support on financial management and benefits.
The approach is co-produced with people with mental illness and health and social care and voluntary sector and district council staff and monitoring and evaluation should include experience of adults and carers.
We should make best use of available technology and digital access appropriate to the needs of adults and carers including to support engagement with communities of interest.
There are a number of different contracts and activities that currently support this area. ECC has a contract offering peer support and mentoring with futures in mind.
Adult Community Learning offer courses both in terms of teaching skills for independence and that cater for interests. It is a focus of our own operational wellbeing teams.
There are some overlaps with public health services for wellbeing.
Need to understand the needs for a social inclusion service offer. An engagement piece (with both providers, mental health professionals and people with lived experience) is required to understand scope and next steps. We need to review next steps/ commissioning plans in tandem with a review of existing futures in mind service (explore need for an exclusive MH service in addition to dual diagnosis service).
More strategically, we need to consider gaps in provision as well as review the wider context of how early intervention mental health services (across both health and social care) can:
Initial impact on existing recovery service was significant as services were halted/moved to virtual. Services are now back to full delivery with clear COVID measures in place. Some staff challenge relating to COVID absence but these now seem to be resolved.
Market risks to be identified when scoping work completed.
Our current area of focus is:
Understanding use of service by substance misuse/MH users and identification of needs of those with exclusive (as opposed to dual) needs.
Discussion around next steps for existing contract.
Review/scoping exercise underway to determine next steps/strategic direction for recovery/social inclusion services.