The Health and Social Security Panel is conducting a review of mental health services in Jersey.
Mental health includes our emotional, psychological and social well-being and affects how people think, feel and act.
One in four people will experience a mental health problem at some point in their lifetime and issues can range from depression and anxiety, schizophrenia and dementia.
Mental health services provided by the States of Jersey currently consist of inpatient and outpatient care, as well as community and child & adolescent services. Some of these services are also provided by private and charitable organisations.
Between 2014 and 2015, mental health services in Jersey were reviewed by the States of Jersey and a mental health strategy was launched at the end of 2015. It set out how services would be improved up until 2020.
Prior to his election, the Chief Minister, Senator John Le Fondré, said he wanted to see the issue of mental health much further up the agenda. It was also recently announced that responsibility for child and adult mental health services would be separated. The Children and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) will be housed in the Children, Young People, Education and Skills department. Adult Mental Health will be housed within Health and Community Services.
In light of these developments, the Scrutiny panel will assess mental health services in Jersey.
Deputy Mary Le Hegarat, Chair of the Panel, said:
"Mental health will affect a quarter of people during their lives. The States of Jersey has committed to reforming and improving mental health services between 2016 and 2020. At this half way point, we will take stock, assess progress and see what more could be done. We want to hear from people who have accessed and used mental health services in Jersey."
Mental health survey
Health and Social Security Panel launched a mental health survey on 10 October 2018 - World Mental Health Day. The survey is seeking the views of anyone who has accessed and used mental health services on the island in the last two years – since the government launched its mental health strategy in 2016.
The Panel is interested in hearing both positive and negative experiences of accessing and using mental health services in Jersey. This includes people with direct experience but also their family and friends.
All responses to the survey will be treated anonymously. The results of the survey will help to inform the Panel's final report which will include key findings and recommendations to government.
The survey is open until Monday 3rd December 2018. It is available online, in hardcopy and in English, Portuguese and Polish. The online version can be accessed at https://survey.gov.je/s/AssessmentOfMentalHealthServices/. Hardcopies can be requested by writing to the Panel's Scrutiny Officer, Tom Leveridge (t.leveridge@gov.je).
The panel invites submissions on some or all of the following questions from people and organisations who run or have accessed or used mental health services in Jersey. The deadline is 5pm on Friday, 28 September 2018.
- What are the current trends in mental health in Jersey?
- What progress has the States of Jersey made on implementing its mental health strategy? What further work is required?
- How have mental health services changed since the launch of the mental health strategy in 2015?
- What support is in place to ensure the organisations which provide mental health services are able to work in partnership in the best interests of the individual concerned?
- What are the potential risks and benefits of separating child and adult mental health services? How could any potential risks be mitigated?
- What examples of best practice are available from other jurisdictions that Jersey could learn from?
You can send your submission to t.leveridge@gov.je.
Sharing your personal information and testimony
The Panel takes data protection very seriously, especially given the sensitive nature of mental health.
Any submission received by the Panel which includes personal information or testimony will be stored in a digitally secure location on the States Greffe IT system. Only Panel members and Scrutiny staff will have access to the information. No personal information will be put into the public domain.
The Scrutiny Officer will discuss with each person submitting personal information or testimony how it may be used by the Panel to support its review. This may include whether it is possible to publish a redacted and anonymised version. The wishes of the person submitting the information will be respected.
Should the Panel wish to take oral evidence from mental health service users, hearings will be conducted in private and only an anonymised transcript will be produced. The individuals involved will have the opportunity to review the transcript before it is published. If the individuals involved decide that they don't want the transcript to be published, their wishes will be respected.
At the end of the review any personal data collected during the review will be deleted.
If you would like to discuss this in more detail, please contact the Scrutiny Officer, Tom Leveridge (t.leveridge@gov.je. 441054).
