Issue - meetings

To receive a report proposing actions by the Board to improve Mental Health Resilience in Enfield.

(TO FOLLOW)

RECEIVED the report of Tessa Lindfield (Director of Public Health).

NOTED

Tessa Lindfield introduced the report, highlighting the following:

?  Improving mental health resilience was one of the three priorities selected by Health and Wellbeing Board (HWB) for action planning for the final two years of the Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy, with a focus on prevention.

?  HWB agreed to explore using Thrive LDN to deliver this. A workshop was held in November with a range of stakeholders, which was discussed at the recent HWB development session.

?  Mark Tickner (Senior Public Health Strategist) having met with Thrive LDN yesterday recommended the proposed activities and focus on younger people. Having seen the work on suicide prevention it was considered that engagement would be worthwhile. Tessa Lindfield felt that engagement would give Enfield access to specialist advice and would contribute to a coherent approach across London.

Councillor Orhan arrived at the meeting at this point.

IN RESPONSE comments and questions were received, including:

1.    Vivien Giladi highlighted concerns around rising inequalities in living conditions, housing issues, insecure work, and government policies, and that mental health services were under resourced; and that though she would support the recommendations she was concerned not to mask underlying deficits in services.

2.    Dr Mo Abedi recommended trying to build resilience, and that the proposals would build into the prevention arm of the existing mental health strategy.

3.    Members had expressed initial scepticism but supported continued engagement.

4.    Tony Theodoulou reported positive feedback on what was already being done in the borough, and that engagement could be complimentary to that.

5.    Andrew Wright stressed the importance of attitude change and that it was important for people who may have an emerging mental health condition and for the population at large to have a better understanding.

6.    It was confirmed that the sum sought from LB Enfield was £30,000, and that further details were awaited, but the emphasis was how to be protective of mental health. The Thrive LDN offer was still being developed locally but would be focussed on Enfield’s needs. Tessa Lindfield acknowledged the requests to link in more with the mental health partnership.

AGREED that the Health and Wellbeing Board endorsed:

(1)  The Thrive LDN “Hub Offer” is scoped in order for the Board to consider signing up to.

(2)  Continued work with Thrive LDN and our local partners to undertake an additional engagement event in Enfield with focus upon the aspirations, needs and ideas of our younger people in the area of emotional health, wellbeing and resilience.

(3)  That Public Health continues to engage with Thrive LDN in the area of suicide prevention and resilience.