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Figure 11:11 DOLS requests and Waiting Lists
Carmarthenshire Ceredigion Pembrokeshire
DOLS referrals – 2015/16 629 421 623
Dols waiting list - current 685 305 277
Source: Local data
The Health Board and Local Authorities commission a range of third sector organisations to support people with mental health needs including advocacy services, information and advice, activities, healthy lifestyles and a range of supported accommodation and tenancy related support services. There are many voluntary and community organisations and social enterprises working with people with mental illness including Pembrokeshire Mind, Carmarthenshire Mind, Mind Aberystwyth, Hafal, and FRAME.
West Wales Action for Mental Health (WWAMH) supports voluntary organisations with an interest in mental health and seeks to improve the services and opportunities available to people with mental health problems, their families and carers. WWAMH has an active presence across the West Wales area, and a number of service users have been involved or contributed towards future service developments.
Direct payments provide another way for individuals to access a range of opportunities and services, by being able to choose who provides the services they need. The numbers of adult social services clients with mental health needs who are receiving direct payments are shown in the following graph. Although numbers are low there has been a small upward trend in Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire since 2011.
11.5. Gaps and Areas for Development
The TMHSP programme have developed a shared vision for a modern mental health service (Hywel Dda University Health Board, 2015) which should:
• beaccessible24hoursadaysothatthepersonwhoneedshelportheirsupporters can walk into a mental health centre at any time and establish a safe relationship to discuss their needs and agree immediate support
• havenowaitinglistssothatthefirstappointmentcantakeplacewithin24hours, with planned meetings to follow that agree the support and treatment needed
• moveawayfromhospitaladmissionandtreatmenttohospitalityand‘timeout’ so that the mental health centres can provide night hospitality from one night to several weeks in order to address crisis periods when there is a higher need for protection and/or to support the needs of the family, when hospital admission is not the best option; and
• day time out and opportunities to provide therapeutic day service options for the individual to access the care and support that is needed, for a few hours or a whole day
West Wales Population Assessment March 2017 Mental health