Sheffield Health & Social Care NHS Foundation Trust Specialist Advice Services in the Mental Health Sector In collaboration with: Sheffield Health & Social Care NHS FT Central and North West London NHS FT CAB Kevan Taylor May 2011

Sheffield Health & Social Care NHS Foundation Trust Aims To identify which specialist advice services (benefits, accommodation etc) are provided to clients using mental health services To identify how such services are accessible to patients To identify why mental health services provide specialist advice

Sheffield Health & Social Care NHS Foundation Trust Method In December 2010 all 58 CEO’s of Mental Health Trusts were asked to nominate two staff to complete the survey The staff nominated were ed a link to an online survey In total, 26 / 58 (45%) of Mental Health Trusts responded

Sheffield Health & Social Care NHS Foundation Trust More respondents had a greater knowledge of delivering rather than an involvement in planning advice services.

Sheffield Health & Social Care NHS Foundation Trust Information and advice is more likely to be given to community patients:

Sheffield Health & Social Care NHS Foundation Trust Trusts tend to deliver information and advice services themselves.

Sheffield Health & Social Care NHS Foundation Trust Community patients are more likely to get referred for information or advice as part of a financial assessment.

Sheffield Health & Social Care NHS Foundation Trust Specialist advice is provided to mental health patients to improve their well being.

Sheffield Health & Social Care NHS Foundation Trust Funding of advice services for inpatients 50% of respondents stated the Trust funded advice services Only 3 respondents could give information on how funding was provided and the amount of funding 42% of respondents highlighted other funders such as PCTs and the local authority

Sheffield Health & Social Care NHS Foundation Trust Funding of advice services for patients being treated in the community 45% of respondents stated the Trust funded advice services Only 5 respondents could give information on how funding was provided and the amount of funding 56% of respondents highlighted other funders such as PCTs and the local authority

Sheffield Health & Social Care NHS Foundation Trust Conclusions Respondents had greater knowledge of the delivery than the planning of advice services Inpatients have less access to advice services compared with patients being treated in the community Community patients are more likely to be referred as part of a financial assessment Trusts often deliver these services in-house or are reliant on PALS Patients require advice on a range of issues including benefits, housing and debt advice

Sheffield Health & Social Care NHS Foundation Trust Conclusions Most patients are told of the existence of an advice service Advice services are valued for the improvements they make to patients’ wellbeing, and reducing risk of readmission Despite valuing the advice service, respondents had limited knowledge about the resourcing of these services

Sheffield Health & Social Care NHS Foundation Trust Recommendations Inpatients should not continue to be disadvantaged through less access to advice services Access to holistic advice services should be available to all of the Trust’s patients Trusts should ensure advice experts are giving advice, rather than relying on healthcare professionals to give advice or signposting to PALS which then signpost to advice agencies

Sheffield Health & Social Care NHS Foundation Trust Recommendations Best practice on enabling patients to access existing advice services should be publicised Further research should be undertaken to identify if existing advice services have the capacity to meet the demand for their service Trusts should financially support advice services which improve outcomes for their patients