As a result of the presentation of the Health Needs Assessment the Health and Wellbeing Board members signed up to the Mental Health Prevention Concordat.
A number of specific recommendations were set out, framed around the five domains of the Public Health England Prevention Concordat for Better Mental Health.
- Understanding local needs and assets,
- Working together,
- Taking action for prevention and promotion, including reducing health inequalities,
- Defining success and measuring outcomes,
- Leadership and direction.
Public Health England Prevention Concordat for Better Mental Health consensus statement
The undersigned organisations agree that:
To transform the health system, we must increase the focus on prevention and the wider determinants of mental health. We recognise the need for a shift towards prevention-focused leadership and action throughout the mental health system, and into the wider system. In turn, this will impact positively on the NHS and social care system by enabling early help through the use of upstream interventions.
There must be joint cross-sectoral action to deliver an increased focus on the prevention of mental health problems and the promotion of good mental health at a local level. This should draw on the expertise of people with lived experience of mental health problems, and the wider community, to identify solutions and promote equity.
We will promote a prevention-focused approach towards improving the public’s mental health, as all our organisations have a role to play.
We will work collaboratively across organisational boundaries and disciplines to secure place-based improvements that are tailored to local needs and assets, in turn increasing sustainability and the effective use of resources.
We will build the capacity and capability across our workforce to prevent mental health problems and promote good mental health, as outlined in the Public Mental Health Leadership and Workforce Development Framework Call to Action.
We believe local areas will benefit from adopting the Prevention Concordat for Better Mental Health.
We are committed to supporting local authorities, policy makers, NHS clinical commissioning groups and other commissioners, service providers, employers and the voluntary and community sector to adopt this concordat and its approach.