Mental Health | LocalGov


New remotely lockable cabinet will help manage medication for people with mental health issues 22/04/2025 New remotely lockable cabinet will help manage medication for people with mental health issues, according to the UK’s leading medication support company PAMAN.
Swindon barbers to help boost mental health support 16/04/2025 Swindon Borough Council urges local barbers to engage with a new training programme designed to improve and destigmatise mental health issues amongst men.
Mental health services under resourced and overwhelmed 13/03/2025 A lack of support means people struggling with mental health issues are caught in a ‘damaging cycle’ of re-admittance to mental health services, says CQC.
Hundreds of children forced ‘out of area’ for mental health care 10/02/2025 Hundreds of children are forced to travel out of their local area for mental health treatment, according to the Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCP).
Children stuck in limbo amid delays for mental health support 05/02/2025 Young people seeking mental health support are not getting the help they need, according to a new survey.
Children's mental health crisis costs over £1tn 05/02/2025 The failure to tackle the children's mental health crisis costs the UK over £1tn in lifetime lost earnings, researchers focusing on mental health warn.
Council commits £6.2m per year to long-term mental health funding 23/01/2025 Oxfordshire County Council has committed £6.2m each year for the next 10 years to a pooled budget for mental health services.
Ombudsman: Decision to move man in his final days caused ‘distress’ 16/01/2025 Essex County Council’s decision to move a man with dementia away from his wife during the final weeks of his life caused ‘avoidable distress’, an ombudsman has said.
Social worker safety put at risk by policy changes 03/12/2024 Policy changes reducing police presence at mental health incidents are putting the safety of social workers at risk, a charity and university have warned.
Government to create first ever men’s health strategy 28/11/2024 The Government has committed to creating the first strategy for men’s health – something council bosses have been calling for.
Data map reveals ‘stark disparities’ in children’s mental health 07/11/2024 Local government policymakers have been urged to take immediate action after a data map revealed ‘stark disparities’ in children’s mental health across UK.
New scheme aims to improve mental health of flood-risk communities 04/11/2024 A ‘trailblazing’ project has launched to improve the mental health of communities at risk of flooding in West Yorkshire.
Many children not getting the right support, care regulator warns 25/10/2024 Many children and young people are not currently getting the support they need, England’s health and social care regulator has warned.
Council destroys belongings of missing tenant 25/10/2024 East Riding of Yorkshire Council destroyed the belongings of an elderly tenant who went missing after banning his family from entering his flat.
Mother fleeing abuse forced to live in mixed-sex B&B 10/10/2024 A mother fleeing abuse was forced to live in accommodation so unsuitable her disabled child would soil themselves rather than use the shared bathroom.
School attendance scheme gets £15m boost 10/10/2024 The Government is set to spend £15m expanding an attendance mentoring scheme to 10,000 more children in England.
LGA: ‘Emergency cash injection’ needed to tackle child abuse 08/10/2024 Local authority leaders have called for emergency support for children’s social care as figures reveal councils investigate 600 child protection cases a day.
Supported housing ‘on a knife edge’ 20/09/2024 The Local Government Association (LGA) has urged the Government to boost spending on supported housing and consider a ring-fenced fund in next month’s Budget.
Darzi review: ‘Extraordinary power in getting public health right’ 12/09/2024 The Government must invest in public health to ease pressure on a health service ‘in critical condition’, according to a damning new review of the NHS.
Manchester adopts Finnish housing scheme in UK first 12/09/2024 A housing scheme said to have significantly reduced homelessness in Finland is set to become a ‘guiding philosophy’ in Greater Manchester after a successful pilot.
Martin Lewis: Councils collect unpaid tax like ‘worst loan sharks’ 10/09/2024 Consumer finance expert Martin Lewis has criticised the ‘grotesque’ methods authorities use to recover council tax and urged the Government to change the law on debt collection.
Council bosses call for men’s health strategy 27/08/2024 The ‘silent health crisis’ facing men in England should be a national concern, the Local Government Association (LGA) has said.
King's Speech: Waiting lists, prevention and mental health top health agenda 17/07/2024 Reducing waiting times, prevention and improving mental health provision topped Labour's agenda in today's King's Speech but there were no social care reforms.
Warwickshire staff miss 15,000 days due to poor mental health 21/06/2024 Poor mental health was the biggest reason for sickness absence at Warwickshire County Council last year, a report has revealed.
New £64m WorkWell pilot programme announced 08/05/2024 The Government has announced a new £64m pilot programme called WorkWell to assist individuals with long-term health issues rejoin the workforce.
Ministers propose disability benefits overhaul amid ‘spiralling’ costs 30/04/2024 Plans to overhaul the disability benefits system and ‘deliver better value for the taxpayer’ have been laid out by the Government.
Two-fifths of children face barriers to education 26/04/2024 Millions of pupils are struggling to learn because of unstable family environments, mental health challenges and poor attendance, a major children’s charity has warned.
Seven areas selected for £45m child protection trial 11/04/2024 Seven more areas in England have been selected to trial the Families First for Children (FFC) scheme, a £45m child protection programme.
Essex council agrees to rethink alternative education changes 04/04/2024 Essex CC agrees to investigate why changes to its alternative education provision for children who are unable to attend school have not improved the service.
Mental illness costs England £300bn a year 27/03/2024 The cost of mental ill health in England was £300bn in 2022, according to new research.
Council criticised after teacher harassed for Muhammad cartoon 25/03/2024 Kirklees Council demonstrated a ‘lack of consideration’ towards a teacher who faced harassment for showing a cartoon of the prophet Muhammad, advisor says.
Twenty-four mental health hubs announced 28/02/2024 Twenty-four early support hubs are set to be rolled out in local communities across the country to provide mental health support for young people.
Scotland’s public services ‘crumbling’ 19/02/2024 Scots have observed worsening poverty and public services are failing to address social problem, according to a new report.
Warning over suicide prevention fund end 19/02/2024 The Local Government Association (LGA) is urging the Government to extend funding for suicide prevention projects in the Spring Budget.
Emergency mental healthcare referrals for children up 50% 07/02/2024 Psychiatrists call for more support for young people as an analysis reveals the number of children referred for emergency mental healthcare has increased 50%.
North Northants fined £1,500 after girl misses school 26/01/2024 The leader of North Northamptonshire Council has apologised to the family of a girl who missed part of her education because of her health.
New £1.5m package to support school leaders launched 15/01/2024 The Government has announced a new £1.5m package to help support the mental health and wellbeing of school and college leaders.
Government falling 'woefully short' on supported housing 10/11/2023 Vulnerable people are increasingly provided with poor quality supported housing and suffer ‘significant, detrimental’ impacts due to inadequate support, a report has found.
Barriers to support impacting carers’ mental health 02/11/2023 Unpaid carers are not receiving adequate support from statutory services and their mental health is suffering as a result, Carers UK has found.
Councils 'vital' to social prescribing success 09/10/2023 Children’s charity Barnardo’s has said local authorities are ‘vital’ to the success of social prescribing as it called for a national strategy.
Care workers in Wales feel undervalued, poll reveals 05/10/2023 Social care workers in Wales feel undervalued by the public and underpaid for the work they do, a new survey has revealed.
Mental health services ‘under increasing pressure’ 26/09/2023 Council leaders have called for long term funding for mental health services in response to a study that warns the prevalence of depression is set to increase.
Call for national mental health support team rollout 21/09/2023 A top children’s services director has called for the ‘very highly regarded’ mental health support teams (MHST) model to be rolled out across the country.
Council apologises after man with dementia left unsupported 08/09/2023 Calderdale Council has apologised after a man with a rapidly progressing form of dementia was left in unsuitable hotel accommodation for too long.
Council hiring mental health officer following high suicide rates 31/08/2023 Essex County Council is hiring a public mental health and suicide prevention officer with an advertised salary of up to £37,357.
Hundreds of Valium prescriptions to be reviewed 23/08/2023 Hundreds of vulnerable people with drug and alcohol dependencies who have been prescribed Valium are set to have their cases reviewed following investigation.
Sandwell Council fails resident with depression 09/08/2023 Sandwell Council failed to consider a resident’s vulnerabilities during an anti-social behaviour case despite multiple reminders, Housing Ombudsman has found.
Health backing for police withdrawal delay 08/08/2023 Senior healthcare figures have backed councils’ demand to delay police withdrawal from non-urgent mental health callouts.
Councils chosen for family-focussed social care trials 27/07/2023 The Government has announced the councils that will test two new children’s social care programmes, which aim to support families through early help.
LGA: police mental health withdrawal too quick 26/07/2023 Council chiefs have raised concerns that plans for police to stop attending mental health incidents are ‘being rolled out too quickly’.
Holyrood announces £3.2m fund to tackle loneliness 25/07/2023 More than 50 projects that are tackling social isolation and loneliness in Scotland have received a share of a new multi-million-pound fund.
Disadvantaged women in North East dying early 10/07/2023 Disadvantaged women in the North East are dying prematurely as public services are failing to meet their needs, according to a new report.
More councillors feel at risk of abuse 06/07/2023 The number of local councillors who have reported feeling at risk in their role due to abuse and intimidation has increased in the last year, LGA finds.
Mental health care teams to support homeless launched 12/06/2023 Fourteen towns with high rates of homelessness are set to benefit from new NHS mental health care teams, NHS England today announced.
MPs back campaign to ban handcuffing children in care 05/06/2023 Several MPs are backing a campaign to scrap legislation that allows children in care to be handcuffed when they are transported between premises.
Council criticised after safeguarding failure 02/06/2023 Tandridge DC failed in its duties towards a resident with poor mental health under the Equality Act and its own safeguarding policy, ombudsman finds.
Making communities dementia friendly 01/06/2023 To ensure our communities are inclusive, it is important that all places are dementia friendly, writes Ailidh Aikman, Dementia Services Development Centre.
Councils 'not ready' for Met's mental health withdrawal 30/05/2023 Councils are not ready for the consequences of the Metropolitan Police Services’ decision to withdraw from non-emergency mental health callouts, experts warn.
Opportunities missed to help man who died of starvation 15/05/2023 A man with severe mental health problems died alone weighing four and a half stone after opportunities to help him were missed, a review of the case found.
Many council areas face ‘nature access gap’, study reveals 02/05/2023 In a third of local authority areas more than 70% of households don’t have access to nature within a 15-minute walk, new research finds.
Gambling reforms ‘vague’, public health directors say 27/04/2023 The Government’s gambling reforms are ‘vague’ and ‘disappointing’, according to the representative body for directors of public health.
‘Shocking’ number of children in care far from home 25/04/2023 A ‘shocking’ number of children are being moved into care far from their communities, according to a campaigning charity.
Legal threat forces Devon CC to halt care cuts 17/04/2023 Devon County Council will halt its plans to cut adult day and respite services after the mental health charity Mencap threatened to take legal action.
Health of over 2.5m young people affected by poor housing 17/04/2023 Many young people are suffering physically and mentally because of poor quality housing, according to poverty campaigners.
Children in youth custody face ‘tension and paranoia’ 29/03/2023 Children as young as 10 in youth custody are facing ‘palpable tension and paranoia’, according to an official report.
How neurodiversity relates to planning and development 14/03/2023 James Sackley of Boyer argues that it is important to consider neurodiversity during the planning process.
Waiting times for children’s mental health services on the rise 08/03/2023 Average waiting times between children being referred to mental health services and starting treatment are increasing for the first time in years, data shows.
Hull City Council asks residents if they are happy 06/03/2023 Hull City Council has launched a survey of residents to find out if they are happy.
Family hubs receive £300m boost 09/02/2023 Thousands of parents and children are set to benefit from a £300m investment in family hubs across England, the Government today announced.
Mental health services need funding ‘clarity’ 09/02/2023 Local authority leaders have called for ‘clarity’ over funding for mental health services as demand outstrips the level of funds available.
How councils can support children's mental health 06/02/2023 To mark Children’s Mental Health Week, Dr Anna Harris of Coram looks at how councils can support wellbeing and help mental health services.
Woman with schizophrenia lay dead in council flat for four years 27/01/2023 Surrey County Council has committed to taking a full part in the inquest into a woman with schizophrenia who was found dead in her flat after four years.
Mental health emergency services to receive £150m 23/01/2023 Patients experiencing a mental health emergency will soon be able to benefit from 150 new facilities dedicated to supporting mental health urgent care.
Roll-out of school mental health support teams could save £1.8bn 16/01/2023 The urgent roll-out of Mental Health Support Teams across schools in England could provide a ‘significant’ cost saving for the public sector, charity says.
Social prescribing support receives £3.6m boost 23/12/2022 More than £3.6m of Government funding has been awarded to the National Academy of Social Prescribing to support mental health and wellbeing.
Poor health 'undermining UK economy' think tank warns 08/12/2022 Mental health problems are the most common reason for people being unable to work new research has revealed.
Children from violent homes to receive mental health support 05/12/2022 Children who have been affected by abuse are set to get automatic access to mental health services regardless of whether they were present during violence.
Council chiefs call for ‘sustainable’ mental health funding 02/12/2022 Local council leaders have called for long term funding to help support mental health services as health leaders warn these services are ‘being left to fail’.
Charity blasts ‘failing’ mental health system 30/11/2022 A charity has criticised what it describes as a ‘failing’ mental health system as figures show that one in six children are struggling.
Children’s health experts warn of pandemic’s ‘lasting impact’ 23/11/2022 The majority of professionals say they are seeing an ongoing negative impact on babies’ and young children’s social skills due to the COVID pandemic.
Record number of children seeking help from councils for mental health problems 14/11/2022 The number of children with mental health problems being seen by social workers has reached record levels, new analysis has revealed.
Council apologises after teenage suicide 29/09/2022 West Sussex County Council has apologised for failing to provide the right level of support to a teenage boy who has died after a suicide attempt.
Support for county lines victims gets £5m boost 26/09/2022 Services aimed at supporting victims of county lines gangs received a multi-million-pound bump over the weekend.
Glasgow council extends paid leave to cover miscarriages 02/09/2022 Glasgow City Council employees who suffer a miscarriage will now get paid leave, the local authority has announced.
Funding for mental health support under threat 31/08/2022 Local authorities are being forced to divert early intervention mental health funding towards services under more immediate pressure, council chiefs warn.
Councils receive £6m supported housing boost 04/08/2022 Four local authorities have been given a £6m boost to help support vulnerable tenants living in supported housing.
‘Parallel pandemic’ of mental ill health cost North £2bn 25/07/2022 The number of mental ill health cases in the North of England were much higher during the pandemic than in any other part of the country and cost £2bn.
One in five children worried about mental health 07/07/2022 The Children’s Commissioner has unveiled six ambitions for supporting children as one in five children say that they are worried about their mental health.
Seven in 10 councillors face abuse, survey reveals 30/06/2022 Council leaders are calling for a change in legislation to allow councillors to withhold their personal addresses as evidence of abuse and intimidation grows.
Javid announces £150m for mental health crisis support 27/06/2022 A multi-million-pound investment will help people experiencing a mental health emergency get access to more crisis houses and safe havens, Government says.
Over 300,000 people living with undiagnosed dementia 17/05/2022 Improving early diagnosis for the hundreds of thousands of people with dementia could lead to over £3bn in savings through lower carer costs, report says.
Loneliness-related mental health problems impact vulnerable communities 16/05/2022 Disparities in local funding mean that vulnerable citizens are lacking access to social resources that might provide mental health support, study reveals.
Mental health support in schools to get £7m boost 12/05/2022 The Department for Education today announced a further £7m for schools and colleges to train a senior mental health lead.
Queen’s Speech: Mental health laws to be overhauled 10/05/2022 Government will reform mental health laws to make it harder to detain people and to stop the disproportionate use of the laws against BAME communities.
Mental health impacted by decline in green space 05/05/2022 Green space provision around housing developments has dramatically declined over the last century with negative consequences for mental health, research finds.
Experts warn of spike in COVID-related mental health problems 25/04/2022 Adults are becoming increasingly concerned about the impact of the pandemic on their mental health as one third say their mental health has got worse.
Call for evidence on new 10-year mental health plan 12/04/2022 A call for evidence to inform a new 10-year mental health plan has been launched today by the Government.
New guidance to help tackle 'traumatic' mistakes in aftercare of mental health in-patients 11/04/2022 New guidance to help prevent councils and Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) from making common mistakes in the aftercare of mental health in-patients has been published.
Councils need anti-hoarding teams, researchers say 21/03/2022 Local authority housing officers should be given better training or even specialist anti-hoarding teams to deal with hoarders, researchers say.
Government launches Liberty Protection Safeguards consultation 18/03/2022 Government has launched a consultation on Liberty Protection Safeguards to ensure the freedom of people who may need decision-making assistance is protected.