Tyne and Wear Citizens Mental Health Commission

Tyne and Wear Citizens (TWC) is an alliance of member institutions across Tyne and Wear, which includes schools, university departments, faith groups and charities. TWC is a local Chapter of Citizens UK.

Tyne and Wear Citizens set up a Citizens Commission on Mental Health: wellbeing and public life in the North East. The commission aimed to map problems and identify solutions around mental health services. The aim was to identify creative and innovative solutions to everyday mental health problems. Citizens themselves are very much seen as part of the solution, and three public hearings were held to collect evidence for the Commission’s report. The evidence and recommendations for the final report were derived from personal and professional testimony of what people felt was good, and what needed improving, with regard to mental health services in the North East.

AskFuse was approached by the Citizens commission to identify Fuse researchers to analyse and co-produce the report,  gather evidence of good practice nationally and internationally, thematically analyse submitted transcripts and testimonials, co-produce recommendations to ensure they reflected the testimonial evidence submitted, and provide input for the Compact (a formal agreement) between mental health services in the region. 

AskFuse supported this enquiry by writing a research brief that was sent to Fuse researchers with expertise in this area of data analysis. AskFuse then facilitated meetings between the researchers and Commission representatives. The outcome of the request, facilitated by AskFuse ,was data analysis and co-production of the final report.

The Citizens Commission on Mental Health report organised a public event to promote the “Living Well” report.  Details of the event and full Living Well report can be found on the Citizens UK website.

The Commission reported that, as a result of the public event and publication of the report, key decision makers in the NHS, local universities and voluntary sector had made the following commitments:

• Child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) to work with students at St Thomas More Academy to redesign the Albion Road Clinic.

• Byker Community Trust to address the litter issue on the estate.

• Newcastle Central Mosque & All Saints' Church in Gosforth to host 'Open Door Meals' and train volunteers in mental health awareness.

• Durham University and partners to work together to develop a Suicide Protocol.

• Catherine McKinnell MP to work with Tyne and Wear Citizens to:
  • explore the mandatory provision of a counsellor for every English school, and to work with Tyne and Wear Citizens to pilot and evaluate such provision locally.
  • to highlight in Parliament the need for consistency across Clinical Commissioning Groups regarding dual GP registration and continuity of care for students and others with multiple addresses.

• Newcastle University Student Health and Wellbeing Service to work with Tyne and Wear Citizens and University students to improve the waiting system for students with mental health appointments.

Full details of the commitments made can be accessed on the Citizens UK website.

For more information, please contact:
AskFuse manager: Peter van der Graaf
Phone: 01642 342757
Email: p.van.der.Graaf@tees.ac.uk

• Blog: Could collective community power direct future public health research?
• News: Urgent action needed to address mental health challenges in the North East
• Report: Living Well: Mental Wellbeing and Public Life in the North East

Last modified: Fri, 24 May 2019 14:53:15 BST