Agenda item

Report of the Head of Democratic Services (Nottingham City Council)

Nottingham Healthcare Trust representatives Simon Smith, Executive Director Local Services, and Gary Eves, Programme Development Manager, introduced a report and short film, updating the Committee on plans for a new facility to deliver both Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) and Perinatal Mental Health Services in Nottingham.

Mr Smith and Mr Eves made the following points:

(a)  proposals for establishing a modern, fit for purpose CAMHS and perinatal facility in Nottingham were drawn up in early 2015, and formal consultation took place throughout the summer of 2015, with 85% of respondents supporting the proposals;

(b)  the Trust’s Board of Directors approved the business case in September 2015, planning consent has been secured for the proposed site on Foster Drive, off Mansfield Road, and the contract to build the facility has been signed. Construction is scheduled to complete in February 2018, with services delivered on-site shortly after;

(c)  the expected benefits include improved fit for purpose facilities offering therapeutic caring environments and increased bed capacity for those requiring specialist inpatient care, meaning fewer children and young people having to travel out of area to access services;

(d)  Nottinghamshire Healthcare Trust is in discussions with Nottingham City Council about the provision of education within the perinatal mental health facility, as the site falls within the Nottingham City boundary.

The Committee welcomed the significant progress made since it last considered the issue in July 2015, and was very positive about the design and site layout as presented in the short film. The Committee requested a further update for May 2017, and following issues were raised in discussion:

(e)  Mr Smith and Mr Eves confirmed that the new facility will be built to the highest sustainability specifications, and that the business case fully considered sustainability and maintenance issues;

(f)  Mr Smith explained that the current Thorneywood site has 13 beds, while the new facility will have 30 beds, serving all Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. He also agreed that having more effective lower-level intervention was key to preventing service users’ conditions escalating to requiring inpatient services, and expressed the view that the new integrated CAMHS offer will help deliver this;

(g)  Mr Eves explained that the Trust has a comprehensive Strategic Workforce Plan under which sat a Workforce Model, identifying the required skills mix to deliver the Trust’s objectives. The Workforce Plan was also informed by the Trust’s Organisational Development Plan and Recruitment and Retention Plan, which set out the organisation’s mission, values, and education, training and personal development needs. Mr Eves offered to update the Committee on recruitment issues as part of the May 2017 update;

(h)  Mr Smith confirmed that funding of the education element of the facility still needed clarifying, and that the Department for Education are being lobbied to press for pupil funding to be increased proportionately to the increase in bed capacity. An update will be included in the May 2017 progress report;

(i)  the Committee requested a progress report on the updated integrated CAMHS model for consideration in July or September 2016, depending on other items of business on the work programme;

(j)  Mr Smith and Mr Eves agreed that the Committee should have a tour of the new facility when it opens.

RESOLVED to

(1)  thank Mr Smith and Mr Eves for the progress report and film, and to commend the progress made to date;

(2)  to request a further progress report on CAMHS and Perinatal Mental Health Services to the Committee’s May 2017, to incorporate updates on education and workforce recruitment;

(3)  to request a progress report on the updated integrated CAMHS model for consideration in July or September 2016.