Briefings and responses

The Mental Health and Wellbeing Plan is an important opportunity to recognise local government’s leadership role in improving the mental health and wellbeing of our communities.

The Government published the Reforming the Mental Health Act white paper in August 2021, which sets out proposed changes to the Mental Health Act 1983 (MHA) and wider reforms of policy and practice around it. This briefing summarises the key points of the white paper with regard to people with a learning disability and autistic people.

In July 2020, the Government announced the £62 million Community Discharge Grant in England to help accelerate the discharge of patients with learning disabilities and/or autistic people from mental health hospitals into the community.

It is essential that the new Act clearly recognises the local leadership role of councils and identifies the roles and responsibilities of councils in respect of both statutory and non-statutory mental health duties, working in partnership with the NHS and local voluntary and community services.

Good mental health is essential for a healthy and prosperous society. Unfortunately, it is easier to focus on what happens when a person becomes mentally ill, and how the health service intervenes, rather than how to keep our communities mentally well in the first place.

We welcome the opportunity that the Bill presents to replace a system that is widely agreed not to be fit for purpose.

The Bill provides a vital opportunity for long-awaited reform. It is important that this opportunity is not missed and that the Bill is passed as the current situation is not sustainable for councils and our communities.

"Increased investment in children and young people’s mental health services is urgently needed. In particular, the Government must ensure all of the promised £1.7 billion for children’s mental health is spent on children’s mental health services, and not diverted elsewhere."

The final legislation needs to highlight the rights of individuals to be consulted in decisions and ensure that they, their families and carers, and the sector as a whole, have the confidence that there will be independent oversight of those decisions when appropriate.