Agenda item

 

This item is to receive a presentation in relation to the Draft Adult Social Care Mental Health Strategy 2026-2029 and its development, giving Health Select Commission Members and opportunity to consider the Strategy and make recommendations ahead of its presentation to Cabinet in December 2025.

 

 

The Chair welcomed Scott Matthewman, Assistant Director of Strategic Commissioning and Holly Smith, Change Lead for Service Improvement and Governance to the meeting and invited them to introduce the draft Strategy and supporting presentation.

 

The Assistant Director of Strategic Commissioning explained that the purpose of the session was to provide members with an overview of the draft Strategy, its development, and its proposed priorities ahead of submission to Cabinet in December 2025.

 

They described that the strategy had been co-designed over an extended period with a wide range of stakeholders to ensure it reflected local needs and aspirations. They confirmed that the document set out a clear strategic vision for adult mental health services in Rotherham and identified priorities for delivery over the next three years. The priorities included:

 

·       Establishing a Mental Health Partnership Board to oversee implementation.

·       Expanding the mental health enablement offer.

·       Improving access to services and reducing waiting times.

·       Enhancing support for carers and families.

·       Strengthening crisis pathways.

·       Developing the workforce to meet future needs.

 

They noted that a detailed action plan would accompany the Strategy to ensure accountability and measurable progress, with governance arrangements in place to monitor delivery.

 

The Change Lead for Service Improvement and Governance outlined the background and development process to the Strategy. They reported that Cabinet had approved recommendations from the Adult Social Care Mental Health Review in December 2023, which included the requirement to produce a co-designed borough-wide mental health Strategy. The draft Strategy aimed to achieve parity for mental health services across Rotherham and had been shaped by contributions from Public Health, Housing, NHS colleagues, and Voluntary and Community sector partners. They highlighted the critical role of Housing in Adult Social Care, supporting mental health recovery and continuity of care and acknowledged that mental ill health was a growing public health concern which ranged from everyday stresses to long term conditions and recognised that higher levels of wellbeing were linked to lower levels of illness.

 

The Strategy had been informed by robust data sources, including the Rotherham’s Mental Health Needs Assessment (RHNA), loneliness engagement data, the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA), and insights from the Rotherham Parent Carers Forum. To ensure the strategy reflected community priorities, a 12 week formal consultation had been undertaken between May and July 2025. This consultation involved 26 bespoke engagement events across the borough, delivered in partnership with organisations such as Voluntary Action Rotherham, South Yorkshire Housing, and Rotherham Ethnic Minority Alliance (REMA). Engagement activities included drop-in sessions at venues such as Wellgate Court and the Unity Centre, workshops with staff networks and cultural groups, and attendance at promotional events including Women of the World and Shared Lives. The consultation generated 227 responses, with 95 individuals supported to complete surveys. All findings were analysed and directly informed the strategy’s vision, values, and priorities.

 

Feedback gathered throughout consultation was crucial to informing how this alignment with other strategies could be achieved. It was important to ensure that we referenced those existing areas of focus in order to capture views on how this strategy could support wider priorities and initiatives already in place within Rotherham’s mental health services.

 

From consultation, the proposed vision was that residents experiencing mental health challenges should feel empowered, respected, and receive early support to prevent decline and maintain independence close to home. The core values identified were:

 

·       People-focused (47%),

·       Caring (39.6%), and

·       Respectful (32.6%).

 

Key themes which emerged included improving mental health services, preventing crisis through early intervention, reducing waiting times, ensuring voices were heard, and providing consistent access to information and support.

 

The strategy set out phased priorities across its three-year span:

 

Year 1 - Voice, prevention, reducing delays, and access, including expansion of the mental health enablement service.

 

Year 2 - Service improvement and enhanced support for carers and families.

 

Year 3 - Partnership and integration, alongside workforce development.

 

Delivery would be supported by the launch of a Mental Health Partnership Board in 2026, preceded by a working group to maintain momentum. A comprehensive delivery action plan with SMART objectives had been drafted and would accompany the Cabinet report to ensure effective implementation.

 

The Change Lead for Service Improvement and Governance concluded by confirming that the Strategy aligned with existing frameworks such as the Rotherham Health and Wellbeing Strategy and the Borough That Cares Strategy, ensuring coherence across local priorities. The draft Strategy also included practical information for residents on how to get involved, shape services, and raise safeguarding concerns.

 

The strategy was scheduled for presentation to Cabinet in December 2025, with publication planned for early 2026.

 

The Chair thanked the Officers for the presentation and invited questions and comments from Members.

 

Councillor Harper referred to data in the agenda pack which reflected that depression rates in Rotherham had risen from 8.8% to 17.3%, compared to a national average of 13.2%. They asked how the significant increase had influenced prioritisation within the strategy and what actions were planned to reduce the rate in line with the national average.

 

The Assistant Director of Strategic Commissioning explained that the strategy was intelligence-driven and triangulated performance data with lived experience feedback. They highlighted the role of the mental health enablement offer, which focused on early support and prevention, targeting individuals at the point of diagnosis to optimise wellbeing and prevent escalation. They described this approach as central to service design and delivery.

 

Councillor Keenan raised a related concern about homelessness and mental health.  They noted that homelessness linked to mental health had increased from 15.9% to 39% in two years.

 

The Assistant Director of Strategic Commissioning acknowledged this was a critical issue and explained that the council’s integrated approach, spanning Adult Social Care, Housing, and Public Health, enabled a broader understanding of resident needs and informed targeted service responses. They added that homelessness and mental health were often interlinked and that this recognition was shaping staff training and the development of rough sleeper and homelessness strategies to ensure appropriate clinical and social support.

 

Co-optee, David Gill, asked whether the strategy addressed autism and mental health, and sought reassurance as to how services would be made accessible to autistic individuals.

 

The Assistant Director of Strategic Commissioning confirmed that autism had been considered within the strategic framework.  They noted that Rotherham had separate but connected strategies for learning disability, mental health, and autism and stressed the importance of synergy between those strategies, alongside a person-centred approach that recognised individual strengths and needs.

 

Councillor Clarke queried improvements to transition pathways for young people and the partnerships that would support that work.

 

The Assistant Director of Strategic Commissioning stated that significant work was already underway and that the strategy would act as a catalyst for reviewing current pathways, identifying gaps, and engaging both children’s services and people with lived experience to drive improvements.

 

Councillor Clarke asked how integration with housing, voluntary organisations, and health partners would be operationalised and what role the voluntary sector would play.

 

The Assistant Director of Strategic Commissioning explained that the strategy had been co-designed with strong engagement from voluntary and community organisations and that the forthcoming Mental Health Partnership Board would formalise specific roles and responsibilities. They emphasised that delivery would be co-produced rather than prescriptive, drawing on the collective expertise of all partners.

 

Councillor Harrison wanted to understand how the strategy aligned with other key frameworks such as the Health and Wellbeing Strategy and the Borough That Cares Strategy, and how success against the vision of “empowered, respected and early support” would be measured.

 

The Assistant Director of Strategic Commissioning confirmed that alignment had been a conscious decision and that success measures would be co-designed with stakeholders, including people receiving services, alongside national indicators.

 

Councillor Harrison asked how individuals with mental health issues were identified when accessing other council services, such as housing, and whether this would fall under the remit of the partnership board.

 

The Assistant Director of Strategic Commissioning stressed the importance of holistic engagement and the principle of “making every contact count,” intended to ensure referrals and advocacy for timely support.

 

Councillor Harrison asked about the role and authority of the Mental Health Partnership Board and how progress would be monitored.

 

The Assistant Director of Strategic Commissioning explained that the board would adopt governance principles similar to those used for the Learning Disability and Autism Partnership Board, reporting to the Health and Wellbeing Board and periodic updates to the Health Select Commission.

 

Councillor Brent queried what steps would be taken to remove barriers for underrepresented minority groups in accessing mental health services.

 

The Assistant Director of Strategic Commissioning reassured members that inclusivity was central to the strategy and that delivery would involve reviewing pathways, identifying gaps, and engaging communities to ensure interventions improved outcomes.

 

Councillor Brent asked if minority groups were or would be involved in co-production.

 

The Assistant Director of Strategic Commissioning confirmed that all community representations would be engaged.

Councillor Brent also queried whether there were any workforce gaps that represented a risk to delivery.

 

The Assistant Director of Strategic Commissioning acknowledged sector-wide challenges but noted that workforce engagement had been integral to strategy design and that issues would be addressed through business processes as they arose.

 

Councillor Clarke considered the issue of loneliness, asking which demographic/age-groups were most affected.

 

The Assistant Director of Strategic Commissioning did not have the data to hand but agreed to provide it at a later date.

 

Councillor Harper sought reassurance on how the strategy would address co-occurring issues such as mental health and substance misuse.

 

The Assistant Director of Strategic Commissioning reaffirmed the ambition of the strategy and explained that pathways across health and social care were being reviewed to ensure they were fit for purpose and responsive to complex needs. They confirmed that progress would be reported back to the Commission and Cabinet, with monitoring through the Health and Wellbeing Board.

 

Councillor Baum-Dixon asked whether the strategy accounted for differences between urban and rural areas, particularly regarding isolation and loneliness.

 

The Assistant Director of Strategic Commissioning confirmed that whilst the strategy set a universal vision, delivery would be tailored to local contexts, with targeted actions for specific communities as needed.

 

Councillor Brent raised a question concerning local suicide rates, noting national concerns about male suicide.

 

The Assistant Director of Strategic Commissioning did not have local gender-specific data but agreed to provide it at a later date. They outlined existing initiatives focused on early identification and support through the mental health enablement pathway, which aimed to introduce protective factors and prevent crisis.

 

Councillor Ahmed stressed the need to separate mental health from learning disability services based on professional experience. They highlighted cultural factors mental health and called for clearer expectations for providers, improved single points of access, and stronger collaboration with police and NHS partners.

 

The Assistant Director of Strategic Commissioning welcomed these points, stating that the strategy provided a framework for addressing such issues and that the detailed delivery plan would translate priorities into action.

 

Councillor Keenan asked what evidence supported the effectiveness of enablement and independence pathways in preventing crisis.

 

The Assistant Director of Strategic Commissioning described the enablement offer as a tailored 15-week programme which focused on early intervention and prevention, delivered in partnership with health colleagues to ensure continuity across pathways.

 

Councillor Keenan wanted to understand how the overarching strategy would guarantee responsiveness and flexibility of crisis support.

 

The Assistant Director of Strategic Commissioning reassured members that NHS partners were fully engaged in both strategy development and delivery, ensuring integration and person-centred care.

 

Resolved:-

 

That the Health Select Commission:

 

1.    Supported the recommendation to Cabinet to approve the publication of the Adult Social Care Mental Health Strategy 2026-2029.

 

2.    Requested that the Commission be provided with a copy of any delivery/action plan including any specific measurable targets or Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), against which progress would be assessed.

 

3.    Requested a mid-point update on the delivery of the 2026-2029 Strategy (likely to take place in mid to late 2027).

 

4.    Requested early involvement in consultation/co-production of the replacement Strategy when this iteration approaches conclusion, with a timeline for this to be agreed separately with the Chair and Governance Advisor.

 

5.    Requested that the Service contacted co-optee, David Gill to take up the offer of support from Rotherham Speak Up in respect of lived experience.

 

6.    Requested that the Service provide the more detailed data that underpinned the headline loneliness statistics,  affording a more actionable data set that could be assessed over time.

 

7.    Requested that the Service provide specific figures in respect of male suicide rates in Rotheram and outline how they compare with the national average.