Mental Health Specialist Advisory (and Support) Services

This service provides support to people presenting with significant mental health needs meaning they are unable to access or gain maximum benefit from a mainstream CAB offer or equivalent.

There is clear evidence of the stigma, discrimination, and difficulties people with mental health problems face in the work environment, the benefit system and dealing with housing and money services. These are just some of the areas in which people experience exclusion. Working, welfare and personal finance are key to maintaining a regular income. When something goes wrong, security and the daily routine is lost. So many of the issues that this service supports individuals with often are the trigger for a mental health crisis. The Community Mental Health Framework (NHS 2019) identifies the impact of social factors in creating health inequality and contributing to significant mental health need for individuals and recommends a joint approach between NHS and CVSE to provide support and intervention in a holistic way.

The service delivers a specialist advisory service to clients with significant mental health problems in the community who are unable to access, or be successfully supported by more generic community services, namely Citizens Advice (CA). If people can be supported by mainstream CA services, this will be the first point of contact and support.

Predominantly, people accessing this service will be under the care of

• Secondary care mental health services (e.g., CMHT, Crisis resolution / home treatment, IMPACTT)
• Mental Health Integrated Community Services (MHICS)
• Services for Personality difficulties, eating disorder, rehabilitation, IPS (individual placement support) and other services operating under the CMH Transformation model.
• MH Practitioners operating under the ARRS (Additional Roles Reimbursement scheme) in Primary Care Networks
• The service will also support people who have been admitted to a mental health in patient unit across Frimley if appropriate.

The service delivers a high level of specialist expertise in relation to debt, welfare benefits, housing, and employment (in conjunction with IPS) advice to patients with significant mental ill health and is an essential part of the supportive infrastructure, maintaining people's independence and wellbeing, making this an essential service on the recovery pathway across Frimley.

This service has been commissioned as a model that supports access to an advisory service for all people with a significant mental health problem in the least restrictive, de-stigmatising way, whilst supporting the implementation of a 'recovery' focused approach at all times.

The aims and objectives of the service which have been met to date include:

• Evidence of alleviation of distress caused by concerns associated with debt, benefits, housing and employment issues through the user satisfaction surveys and any outcome management tools.
• Access to support and advice in a timely manner to directly address socially determined triggers for a mental health crisis.
• To improve the quality of life for adults with a mental health illness through access to a specialist service tailored to the client group, providing free, independent, confidential, and impartial advice for people who due to their illness are inhibited from using general advisory services at that point in time.
• Support, educate and raise awareness to ensure people with mental health problems are appropriately supported within general advisory services.
• Support clients to obtain additional and appropriate benefits to assist independence, support quality of life and recovery.
• Manage and reduce the debt burden of clients with a mental illness.
• Support resolution of housing or employment issues that may have a negative impact on their independence and mental well-being.
• Raise local and national awareness of the types of problems encountered by clients of the service.
• Reduce anxiety and stress by ensuring that clients that would benefit from support are able to access an adviser, or supported to do so, prior to escalation of their issues having a detrimental effect on their mental health.

As a result of the market engagement, the ICB intends to award this contract under the most suitable provider process and the intention is to award for 2 years (+ 1 + 1).

The new contract will be provided from 1st July 2025 to 30th June 2027.

This procurement has been carried out by NHS South, Central and West Commissioning Support Unit (SCW) on behalf of the Commissioners