Policy Forum for Wales keynote seminar

Next steps for improving mental health in Wales – prevention and access, funding decisions, and raising the quality of services for key service user groups

with

Andrea Gray, Mental Health Development Lead for Wales, Public Health Wales

Professor Keith Lloyd, Chair, Royal College of Psychiatrists in Wales

Helen Whyley, Director, RCN Wales

and

Casey-Jane Bishop, Welsh Youth Parliament; Jan Coles, Powys County Council; Ewan Hilton, Platfform; Allison Hulmes, British Association of Social Workers Cymru; Michaela Morris, Public Health Wales and Early Intervention in Psychosis and Alun Thomas, Hafal

Bydd cyfieithu ar y pryd ar gael yn y gynhadledd hon

Simultaneous translation will be available at this conference

Follow us @PFWEvents | This event is CPD certified

Morning, Wednesday, 29^th January 2020

Central Cardiff

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Note: fees apply for most delegates, but concessionary and complimentary places are available (subject to terms and conditions – see below).

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As we expect discussion on the role of charities, with delegates addressing key challenges for mental health services and partners in the third sector – with contributions fromAlun Thomas, Chief Executive, Hafal and Ewan Hilton, Chief Executive, Platfform 

We expect discussion to focus on issues emerging from recent consultations that policy makers have held with stakeholders, including:

• priorities for the final 2019-2022 phase of the Together for Mental Health strategy; and
• the final shape of the Health & Social Care Workforce Strategy – aiming to meet the needs of Wales over the next 10 years, including emphasis on staff wellbeing and staff.

The agenda

• The delivery plan – collaboration, key outcomes, and effective joint working between local authorities and health boards;
• Children and young people – intervention and prevention, access to care, and the transition between child and adult services;
• Working with people affected by serious mental illness;
• Perinatal mental health services – developing care pathways and inpatient provision;
• Investment in services and developing a sustainable workforce – recruitment, retention, planning, and staff wellbeing; and 
• Mental health services and their partners in the third and public sector – addressing key challenges for quality, funding, signposting, and improving the multiagency response.

Speakers

There will be keynote addresses from: Andrea Gray, Mental Health Development Lead for Wales, Public Health Wales; Professor Keith Lloyd, Chair, Royal College of Psychiatrists in Wales and Helen Whyley, Director, RCN Wales.

Speakers also include:

• Alun Thomas, Chief Executive, Hafal – further supporting vulnerable groups in Wales;
• Ewan Hilton, Chief Executive, Platfform – developing effective partnerships to overcome the challenges around the delivery of services;
• Jan Coles, Head of Children’s Services, Powys County Council – challenges around delivering a smooth and effective transition between child and adult services in Wales; and
• Casey-Jane Bishop, Member, Barnardo’s Cymru, Welsh Youth Parliament – how care can be improved and delivered in the most compassionate way possible, for children and young people, in the context of rising demand on services.

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The details: areas for discussion at this conference

Policy developments

• Crisis care – delegates will discuss partnership working, following the Wales Crisis Care Concordat National Action Plan 2019 to 2022, which sets out actions to support the Concordat, and adds two ‘core principles’ on ensuring quality of data and data analysis and improving communications between agencies;
• Children and young people – the Welsh Government consultations on revisions to its guidance on school- and community-based counselling, andThe Children, Young People and Education Committee’s assessment of progress on improving emotional and mental health of children and young people since their recommendations in 2018;
• Mental health and policing – discussion expected on challenges around preventing people going into police custody, as well as identifying and responding appropriately to detained people with mental health problems – following The Health, Social Care and Sport Committee’s recentMental health in policing and police custody report, recommending the Government urgently implement its conveyance review, and expressing concerns about repeat detentions;
• Perinatal mental health services – opportunities to improve access and quality, and examining progress following The Children, Young People and Education Committee’s inquiry on perinatal mental health;
• Funding – The Welsh Government’s announcementon funding to further develop projects, including alternatives to hospital admission in North Wales and extending the Betsi Cadwaladr UHB Perinatal Mental Health Service; and
• A Healthier Wales – The Welsh Government’s assessment of progress one year on, with sessions expected to consider how to meet the plan’s aims relating to outcomes, quality, access, value and workforce.

Investment and developing a sustainable workforce

Sessions will examine the nature of investment in services such as prevention, and implications for other services, alongside ensuring that all sections of the mental health workforce are qualified and experienced – and include a range of specialisms.

Community services

Delegates will also look at challenges for improving the consistency of care and support provided by community mental health services.

Supporting the workforce and issues for CAMHS

We expect delegates to examine ways in which to support the workforce and how, in turn, care can be delivered in the most compassionate way possible – as demand rises for services such as those for children and adolescents.

Those attending will also assess the role of other sectors, such as education – as the Welsh Government issues guidance on self-harm and suicidal thoughtsfor those who come into direct contact with young people.

Supporting vulnerable groups

Delegates will hear a case study on further specialist support for vulnerable groups of all ages in Wales. The seminar takes place following the Welsh Government’s request for health boards to work towards achieving NICE standards for eating disordersand a four–week waiting time in the next two years – as part of their response to Dr Jacinta Tan’s Review of Welsh Eating Disorder Services.

Further areas for discussion include the signposting of available services – with the draft Together for Mental Health strategy placing emphasis on improving services for offenders, and those with eating disorders and co-related mental health and substance misuse issues.

The agenda has been structured following consultation with the Welsh Government, Public Health Wales and third sector representatives. The draft agenda is copied below my signature, and a regularly updated version is available to download here. The seminar is organised on the basis of strict impartiality by the Policy Forum for Wales. Follow us @PFWEvents for live updates.

Speakers

We are delighted to be able to include in this seminar keynote addresses from: Andrea Gray, Mental Health Development Lead for Wales, Public Health Wales; Professor Keith Lloyd, Chair, Royal College of Psychiatrists in Wales; Chair, Welsh Psychiatric Society and Professor, Clinical Psychiatry, Swansea University and Helen Whyley, Director, RCN Wales.

Further confirmed speakers include: Casey-Jane Bishop, Member, Barnardo’s Cymru, Welsh Youth Parliament; Jan Coles, Head of Children’s Services, Powys County Council; Dr Richard Evans, Executive Medical Director, Swansea Bay University Health Board; Ewan Hilton, Chief Executive, Platfform; Allison Hulmes, National Director, Wales, British Association of Social Workers Cymru; Michaela Morris, Mental Health Service Improvement Manager, Public Health Wales and Chair, National Steering Group, Early Intervention in Psychosis and Alun Thomas, Chief Executive, Hafal.

Additional senior participants are being approached.

Networking

This seminar will present an opportunity to engage with key policymakers and other interested parties, and is CPD certified (more details). Places have been reserved by officials from the DHSC. Also due to attend are representatives from Action for Children; Caerphilly County Borough Council; Cardiff & Vale University Health Board; Carmarthenshire County Council; CIW; Conwy County Borough Council; NPTCBC; Powys County Council; Public Health Wales; Save the Children; University of South Wales and University of Warwick.

Overall, we expect speakers and attendees to be a senior and informed group, including Members of the National Assembly for Wales and senior officials from the Welsh Government, regulators and other agencies, NHS representatives, local authorities, health boards, primary care and social care professionals and their representative bodies, private healthcare providers, patient representatives and service users, schools, colleges and universities, business representatives, trade unions, specialist academia and charities, and third sector care providers and law firms, together with reporters from the national and trade media based in Wales and elsewhere.

Output and About Us

A key output of the seminar will be a transcript of the proceedings, sent out around 12 working days after the event to all attendees and a wider group of Ministers and officials in the Wales Office and Welsh Government departments affected by the issues; as well as Assembly Members with a special interest in the subject. It will also be made available more widely. This document will include transcripts of all speeches and questions and answers sessions from the day, along with access to PowerPoint presentations (subject to agreement with individual speakers), speakers’ biographies, an attendee list, an agenda, sponsor information, as well as any subsequent press coverage of the day and any articles or comment pieces submitted by delegates. It is made available subject to strict restrictions on public use, and is intended to provide timely information for interested parties who are unable to attend on the day.

All delegates will receive complimentary PDF copies and are invited to contribute to the content.

The Policy Forum for Wales is strictly impartial and cross-party. The Forum has no policy agenda of its own.

Booking arrangements

To book places, please use our online booking form.

Once submitted, this will be taken as a confirmed booking and will be subject to our terms and conditions below.

Please pay in advance by credit card on 01344 864796. If advance credit card payment is not possible, please let me know and we may be able to make other arrangements.

Options and charges are as follows:

• Places at Next steps for improving mental health in Wales – prevention and access, funding decisions, and raising the quality of services for key service user groups (including refreshments and PDF copy of the transcripts) are £230 plus VAT;
• Concessionary rate places for small charities, unfunded individuals and those in similar circumstances are £85 plus VAT. Please be sure to apply for this at the time of booking.

For those who cannot attend:

• Copies of the briefing document, including full transcripts of all speeches and the questions and comments sessions and further articles from interested parties, will be available approximately 12 days after the event for £95 plus VAT;
• Concessionary rate: £50 plus VAT.

If you find the charge for places a barrier to attending, please let me know as concessionary and complimentary places are made available in certain circumstances (but do be advised that this typically applies to individual service users or carers or the like who are not supported by or part of an organisation, full-time students, people between jobs or who are fully retired with no paid work, and representatives of small charities – not businesses, individuals funded by an organisation, or larger charities/not-for-profit companies). Please note terms and conditions below (including cancellation charges).