Our programme of change for mental health services started life as the ‘All Age Transformation Programme’ in 2017. It was the start of a journey to transform the care we deliver through our mental health services by co-designing improvements and priorities with service users, carers, staff and other key stakeholders.
We confirmed these priorities through our public consultation which was approved in December 2021. There followed a Decision Making Business Case and a Report of Findings. These documents have informed the final stages of the transformation of mental health services across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.
From the consultation, our Board signed off a series of principles and recommendations for the future of new community mental health services. These include:
- No wrong door for people that need help
- Services that were recovery-based and person-centred
- Bringing care around the person
- No bouncing between services and the cessation of the traditional referral approach
- Access to timely help
- Continuity and consistency of support
- Joined up working across agencies
- Working with an individual, and their personal network
From 2022 to 2024, we have continued to co-design these changes with staff, service users and lived experience patient partners, testing new approaches and structures along the way. This work has included:
- How we will build a one team approach to meet the needs of the local population
- Confirming what treatment we will provide: our clinical offer
- How we will work to make better and quicker decisions: Our consulter model
- Making it easier for patients to access our services: Our new front door
- The way we will develop care plans and therapeutic offers with service users and their families and carers.
The next phase in 2025/26 will be to fully integrate the areas listed above to create our cohesive, place-based integrated neighbourhood teams – that are bringing health, care, voluntary sector and local authority colleagues together to serve the needs of our local people.