At Response, we work with more than 500 adults and young people at any given time through our supported living, tailored support programmes and specialist services for children and young people.
Under the plans announced by Prime Minister Andy Burnham, 100 new community mental health centres (CMHC) and 59 dedicated mental health emergency departments (MHED) would be established.
Locally, it is planned for a MHED to be in operation at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, while one CMHC will be setup at a location which is yet to be confirmed.
It comes at a time where it is estimated one in four people living in England will experience a mental health problem of some kind in a calendar year, while one in five children and young people aged eight to 25 are thought to have a probable mental health problem.
Nicola Leavesley, CEO of Response, welcomed the news and said the current system means many people only receive the support required once they reach a moment of crisis.
“We are in the midst of a mental health crisis,” said Nicola.
“As Oxfordshire’s largest independent mental health charity, it is our role to act as a direct pressure valve to relieve the demand statutory services are experiencing right now.
“But even our newest care provisions which launched less than one year ago are operating with a waiting list greater than 365 days.
“It’s unsustainable, and why we welcome the government’s £343m investment to ensure fewer families are left waiting without the help required before they reach a moment of crisis.
“We have so many great services already being delivered by the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector alongside statutory services. It’s important to build an enhance what already exists in the community.
“Preventative care helps people aspire to live to their full potential through early intervention and breaking cycles which might lead to poor outcomes. We see this every day through our work at Response. We’re pleased to see earlier support, provided at a local and accessible level – which is a brilliant step forward.”
Currently, there are only six CMHCs and 23 MHEDs in England. A lack of historical funding towards preventative mental health care is part of the reason why demand for its services has reached an unsustainable level.
According to the NHS, children aged eight to 16 living with a probable mental health disorder were seven times more likely than their peers to miss more than 15 days of school in a term.
Recent data from the Health and Safety Executive also found 22.1 million working days are lost each year due to work-related stress, depression or anxiety.
It is the government’s intention to reduce these figures by helping more children to stay in education and help more adults remain in or return to work.
Nicola added: “Debt, unemployment, isolation from the community and insecure housing are among the key drivers towards a person developing poor mental health.
“Our holistic approach to mental health support focuses not only on clinical symptoms, but external factors too.
“Combining both approaches defines preventative care and will ensure people can tackle the root cause of an issue which is personal to them rather than allowing it to develop into something significant which will impact a person’s ability to function day-to-day.”