3.6 Priority 6 - Improve our residents’ mental health and outcomes for those with learning disabilities and autism

Executive Champions

Karen Taylor and Chris Badger, co-Chairs, Hertfordshire Mental Health Learning Disabilities and Autism Health and Care Partnership

Strategic Lead Officers

Ed Knowles, MHLDA HCP
James Sawtell, EPUT
Emily Oliver, Essex County Council

Priorities

We will provide early help to our residents to prevent mental illness and support the health and wellbeing of those with a Severe Mental Illness (SMI), learning disabilities or autism. We will seek to achieve the following outcomes:

What we will do

Agree the vision for what a comprehensive employment support offer should look like for all people with severe mental health and learning disabilities in Hertfordshire and West Essex and then task the Pathways to Employment group to identify what needs to happen to move closer towards this.

Area of work

Hertfordshire and West Essex

Who will lead?

Herts Mental Health and Learning Disabilities and Autism HCP
Essex Partnership Foundation Trust

Timescale

Years 1 – 3 (2023/24-2025/26)

Governance

Hertfordshire and West Essex ICP
Hertfordshire LEPs
Essex LEPs

What we will do

Align refreshed governance with the new structures supporting the ICP – including the Herts Mental Health, Learning Disabilities and Autism Health and Care Partnership and Essex Mental Health Alliance to provide a specific focus on improving outcomes for these people in Hertfordshire and West Essex.

Area of work

Hertfordshire and West Essex

Who will lead?

Herts Mental Health and Learning Disabilities and Autism HCP
Essex Partnership Foundation Trust

Timescale

Years 1 – 3 (2023/24-2025/26)

Governance

Hertfordshire and West Essex ICP
Herts LEPs
Essex LEPs

What we will do

Review and consider whether a central Employment Hub may enable a more joined up approach across ‘volunteering, work tasters, careers advice and employment’ to offer a ‘one stop shop’ across services to offer clearer pathways into employment and opportunities.

Area of work

Hertfordshire and West Essex

Who will lead?

Herts Mental Health and Learning Disabilities and Autism HCP
Essex Partnership Foundation Trust

Timescale

Years 1 – 3 (2023/24-2025/26)

Governance

Hertfordshire and West Essex ICP
Herts LEPs
Essex LEPs

What we will do

Work with HR departments across the public sector to improve the offer of supported employment. To join up with other “anchor institutions” such as Police, NHS, University, Further Education Colleges, and District/Borough Councils to commit to increasing the number of paid and unpaid opportunities on offer to residents in vulnerable groups.

Area of work

Hertfordshire and West Essex

Who will lead?

Herts Mental Health and Learning Disabilities and Autism HCP
Essex Partnership Foundation Trust

Timescale

Years 1 – 3 (2023/24-2025/26)

Governance

Hertfordshire and West Essex ICP
Herts LEPs
Essex LEPs

What we will do

Work at a strategic level with partners involved in Skills Strategies and Growth agendas to ensure that long term plans are matched by sufficient employment and training opportunities for residents, especially the types of employment best suited to vulnerable groups who are heavy users of services.

Area of work

Hertfordshire and West Essex

Who will lead?

Herts Mental Health and Learning Disabilities and Autism HCP
Essex Partnership Foundation Trust

Timescale

Years 1 – 3 (2023/24-2025/26)

Governance

Hertfordshire and West Essex ICP
Herts LEPs
Essex LEPs

What we will do

Ensure workforce across the system have access to psychological training and are engaged in training to be more psychologically minded enabling increased early identification and effective and timely signposting to the right pathway at the right time as per Niche report.
Monitor and report on take up of training and evaluate impact.

Area of work

Hertfordshire and West Essex

Who will lead?

Herts and West Essex ICB
Herts Mental Health and Learning Disabilities and Autism HCP
Essex Partnership Foundation Trust

Timescale

Years 1 – 3 (2023/24-2025/26)

Governance

Hertfordshire Mental Health, Learning Disability, and Autism Collaborative Board
West Essex Mental Health Programme Board

What we will do

Work jointly with partners (ICB CYP Transformation Programme, Children’s Services and CAMHs Commissioning teams) to review, streamline and a seamless and integrated psychological therapies pathways for children and young people through to transition into adulthood to ensure children and young people and their parents are able to access early, timely and seamless support when required, to prevent escalation of needs that will require more costly specialist interventions.

Area of work

Hertfordshire and West Essex

Who will lead?

Herts and West Essex ICB CYP Programme
Essex CAMHs Commissioning Service
Hertfordshire Integrated Health Commissioning Service

Timescale

Years 1 – 3 (2023/24-2025/26)

Governance

Hertfordshire Mental Health, Learning Disability, and Autism Collaborative Board
West Essex Mental Health Programme Board

What we will do

Review and implement an integrated and accessible pathway for children, young people and adults with learning disabilities and autism, severe mental illness and physical disabilities that includes a focus on home and school life, diagnosis and transition into adulthood, housing support, adult learning, and work opportunities.

Area of work

Hertfordshire and West Essex

Who will lead?

Herts and West Essex ICB Mental Health Team
Herts Mental Health and Learning Disabilities and Autism HCP
Essex Partnership University Foundation Trust

Timescale

Years 1 – 3 (2023/24-2025/26)

Governance

Hertfordshire Mental Health, Learning Disability, and Autism Collaborative Board
West Essex Mental Health Programme Board

What we will do

Ensure reasonable adjustments are integrated in all pathways through implementing the NHS Accessible Standards and Equalities Duties for our population with mental health diagnosis or learning disabilities or autism as a system to improve access, experience and outcomes for people with mental health diagnosis and learning disabilities or autism.

Area of work

Hertfordshire and West Essex

Who will lead?

Herts and West Essex ICB Mental Health Team
Herts Mental Health and Learning Disabilities and Autism HCP
Essex Partnership University Foundation Trust

Timescale

Years 1 – 3 (2023/24-2025/26)

Governance

Hertfordshire Mental Health, Learning Disability, and Autism Collaborative Board
West Essex Mental Health Programme Board

What we will do

Work jointly with children and young people’s programme in the ICB to develop and deliver an integrated neurodiversity service for children and young people in Hertfordshire and West Essex.

Area of work

Hertfordshire and West Essex

Who will lead?

Herts and West Essex ICB CYP Programme
Hertfordshire and Essex CAMHs Commissioning Services
Herts Integrated Commissioning Service

Timescale

Years 1 – 3 (2023/24-2025/26)

Governance

Hertfordshire Mental Health, Learning Disability, and Autism Collaborative Board
West Essex Mental Health Programme Board

What we will do

Work together with Public Health teams across the ICS to improve the physical, mental, emotional health and social wellbeing of people with learning disabilities and autistic people of all ages and their carers. This will include sharing intelligence and linking with the VCFSE sector and community mental health services.
Monitor and report on progress and evaluate impact.

Area of work

Hertfordshire and West Essex

Who will lead?

Herts and West Essex ICB
Herts Mental Health and Learning Disabilities and Autism HCP
Essex Partnership Foundation Trust

Timescale

Years 1 – 3 (2023/24-2025/26)

Governance

Hertfordshire Mental Health, Learning Disability, and Autism Collaborative Board
West Essex Mental Health Programme Board

What we will do

Work across the ICS system leading by example to develop an Anchor institution status in Hertfordshire and West Essex ICB (using learning from Essex CC) and embedding the Anchor approach within the overarching ICB Workforce Programme and People Plan.

Area of work

Hertfordshire and West Essex

Who will lead?

Herts and West Essex ICB

Timescale

Years 1 – 3 (2023/24-2025/26)

Governance

HCC Employment and Skills Board
Essex Inclusive Employment Working Group
Hertfordshire and West Essex ICP
Herts and Essex LEPs

What we will do

Work with local employers and partners to support the development of suitable opportunities and roles for people with LD and SMI to access and maintain employment and develop new skills, and help employers feel able and confident to be making the reasonable adjustment required to help them to prosper in work.

Area of work

Hertfordshire and West Essex

Who will lead?

Herts and West Essex ICB

Timescale

Years 1 – 3 (2023/24-2025/26)

Governance

HCC Employment and Skills Board
Essex Inclusive Employment Working Group

Outcomes we want to achieve for our residents through delivering this priority expressed as “I” statements

As a resident:

I am supported to have good mental health.
I know how to access activities that promote my wellbeing.
My care and support are based on my needs and wishes, and not others.
I see the right professionals for my health and care.
I can access support through digital and online options should I want them.
I am supported to think about what will happen in the short, medium, and long-term.
I have access to employment and volunteering opportunities.
My school/education setting, or workplace understands my neurodiversity and makes reasonable adjustments.
My family and I are supported to get a diagnosis of my condition and support is provided whilst I await diagnosis.

Potential key performance measures

Indicator 1 – % difference in average age of death between people with a learning disability and SMI compared to general population.
Indicator 2 – % of people with mental-ill health and/or autism or LD in education or employment.
Indicator 3 – % emergency admissions for patients with a mental health diagnosis.
Indicator 4 – Proportion of people with mental ill health known to the criminal justice system.
Indicator 5 – % rate of suicide amongst young people with SMI (Metric Suicide rate (persons aged 10+)
Indicator 6 – % of people with LD with an annual health checks and Heath Action Plan.
Indicator 7 – Proportion of waiting times for both Children and Young People and adults to receive autism and ADHD diagnosis.