Event / Mental health & learning disabilities online forum 2024: key updates from the sector

Welcome address from the chair

Andy will join delegates today to share his reflections on the planning guidance as well as exploring what impacts the funding allocations in the service could have on patients.

He will also expand on the work that the centre for mental health are doing in collaboration with other partners to support the NHS and lobby for better investment and outcomes for patients

Speakers

Andy Bell   / Chief executive , The Centre for Mental Health

Sam will provide an update on the development of Mental Health and Neurodevelopmental Resource Groups (MHNRGs), how these have been designed in collaboration with clinicians.

Sam will update on the current progress and next steps in currencies development.

Speakers

Sam Stringer   / Deputy head of mental health – infrastructure programme lead , NHS England

TBC

Speakers

Liz Durrant   / Deputy Director of Mental Health, Learning Disability and Autism Quality , NHS England

Statistics show Black people are more than four times as likely as white people to be detained under the Mental Health Act, and people from Black and Minority Ethnic groups are overrepresented in inpatient and crisis services, are less likely to have support from a GP before their admissions and are less likely to be referred for psychological therapies.

The Synergi-Leeds Partnership is a citywide approach where the focus has been to tackle the long-standing issue of the overrepresentation of people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities admitted to crisis mental health services or detained under the Mental Health Act. It began in 2017 as a collaboration between Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Leeds City Council’s Public Health team and other VCS services.

Initially supported by the Synergi Collaborative Centre and latterly by Words of Colour, the partnership uses co-produced ‘Creative Spaces Events’ to champion the voices of people with lived experience, challenge prejudices, and galvanise people to act.

Join Joy and Sharon as they discuss the project from inception through to implementation, they will discuss some of the main challenges including access to funding as well as how they worked to eliminate shame to encourage open discussions. Sharon and Joy will reflect on the progress made and outline what they hope the legacy of this work will be as well as their future ambitions

Speakers

Joy Francis   / Executive Director, Words of Colour , Words of Colour

Sharon Prince   / Consultant Clinical & Forensic Psychologist and Deputy Director Psychological Professions , Leeds & York NHS Partnership Foundation Trust