Your Voice Counts: Adult Mental Health Hampshire

Your Voice Counts: Adult Mental Health Phase Two Report was carried out between January and March 2017. This is a project by Healthwatch Hampshire and provides an opportunity for people accessing Adult Mental Health services to have a voice.

The project ‘Your Voice Counts’ is a project commissioned by North East Hampshire and Farnham Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).

Healthwatch Hampshire and Hampshire Citizens Advice carried out focus groups, Survey, conversations, and an engagement event in two localities; Hart and Rushmoor where the opinions of over 190 people were gathered.

key findings included:

The referral process-waiting for the referral to be processed when at crisis point, there is a need to look at options around preventive services and how this would be more sustainable if they are put in place. Some even suggested that if this is done, they would not be at crisis point.

Resources-Alternative contact or hub of information rather than through their GP, taking the pressure off GPs as they are the first point of contact however GPs felt that they are not confident in signposting to anappropriate mental health self-help groups or support.

Information-to be made available from one point of contact

Parents and carers are not supported enough for their mental health and wellbeing

Lack of local services for mental health in their area-some are aware of the Wellbeing Centre in Aldershotand feel scared to travel to get the support they need when they are in crisis

Nearly half of the GPs felt that they were not confident to do a Mental Capacity assessment on their patients and many individuals felt that GPs do not understand or knos enough about their needs

Adult Mental Health services take on existing or previous service users who were accessing Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services when they are in a crisis.

A number of recommendations were made in this report and as stated the findings will be used when planning future services.