Mental Health Services - Market Position Statement

Introduction

The purpose of this market position statement is to outline high level information about the supply of and demand for adult Social Care Services for adults of working age with mental ill health in West Sussex. It is designed to highlight opportunities for the care market and gives relevant information to inform market development and commissioning plans from 2024 based on current knowledge.

It is an iterative document, which will be refreshed on a regular basis as further understanding and intelligence becomes available and to ensure the inclusion of future plans and developments.

In addition, further, real time data and information will also be supplied to and discussed with the market on a regular basis through the provider engagement arrangements which are outlined in section 4. 

This statement does not apply to older adults with mental health needs. These needs are covered by separate market position statements which can be found on the West Sussex County Council website. They are the Older People’s Bed-Based Care Market Position Statement, and the Extra Care Housing (ECH) Market Position Statement.

Executive Summary

West Sussex County Council has duties to meet the needs of and provide care and support to adults of working age with mental ill health which it works with partners, including the NHS to meet.

The numbers of individuals of working age with mental ill health, who are eligible to have Council funded care and support packages, has increased by over 40% in the last five years.

In addition, the costs of care have also increased significantly, because of cost-of-living pressures and also the increasing complexity of people needing care.

More people needing care alongside higher costs means spend has increased and this has placed significant financial pressure on both Council and NHS budgets which are already hugely challenged.

In addition, the right services are not available in the right places which means that people may not be able to live as independently as they can and wish to (this also increases costs), individuals may have to wait to get care or have to get care a long way from the places they are connected to, including on occasion, outside of West Sussex.

In order to address these issues, the Council’s commissioning intentions for adults of working age with mental ill health are, therefore, to:

• Support and contribute to a system wide response to providing early help and prevention support to adults who have mental ill health.
• Ensure customers are being supported using a recovery focused and strength-based model to enable them to live their best lives in which ever setting they are in.
• Increase opportunities for adults who have mental ill health to move through a pathway from care to more independent living in their own community.
• Ensure individuals are receiving the right care and support services to meet their needs, and when needs increase or reduce there are appropriate services for individuals to move on to.
• Reduce the number of customers placed in accommodation-based care outside of West Sussex.
• Reduce waiting time and lists for appropriate care and support services in West Sussex.
• Support and contribute to a system wide response around increasing placement retention and reducing placement breakdowns and avoidable hospital admissions.

In order to work towards achieving these intentions the Council will work with the market to:

• Develop new and remodel existing local services to meet the range of current needs in the right places.
• Ensure that recovery is promoted, and individuals move through a pathway of care to greater independence when they are able to.
• Ensure that the right contracting and quality assurance frameworks are in place to enable this.
• Ensure that the right information is collected by commissioners and providers to enable the market to effectively develop to ensure value for money and meet changing needs.

In addition, the Council is committed to developing relationships with and working with providers to consider and address challenges all parties are facing in a constructive and transparent way.