Driving forward quality care in the not-for-profit sector
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
6th November 2024
NCF responds to Mental Health Bill and reforms to Mental Health Act
The National Care Forum (NCF) – the leading association for not-for-profit social care has responded to the announcement of the Mental Health Bill as part of the government’s planned reforms to the Mental Health Act.
Measures in the Bill include:
• Outdated Mental Health Act modernised to better support patients, treat them more humanely, and address disparities
• Reforms will introduce statutory care and treatment plans, end the use of police and prison cells to place people experiencing a mental health crisis, and end the inappropriate detention of autistic people and people with learning disabilities
• Greater involvement of patients, families and carers will improve treatment whilst protecting patients, staff and the wider public Vic Rayner, OBE, CEO of NCF commented: “We welcome these long-awaited reforms to the Mental Health Act. Particularly welcome are measures to prevent autistic people and those with a Learning Disability from being detained inappropriately in mental health hospitals and similar settings under the legislation when they don’t have a mental health condition.
This practice is causing untold harm and denying dignity to people who deserve much better care and support. “We echo the calls of many of our members that the Bill must also ensure that there are
robust duties for commissioners to develop the right community support – including social care, housing and mental health services – to ensure that people with learning disabilities and autistic people are enabled to draw upon the services they need to live well in the community. “The various funding measures announced in last week’s Budget fall very far short of what is needed to achieve this vision. The government must bring forward much-needed investment in community mental health and adult social care services, alongside the development of specialist housing schemes if it wants the policy aims of this legislation to be successful. We will be following the progress of the Bill carefully, alongside our members, and will seek to engage constructively with the government.”
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Note to Editors:
• The National Care Forum brings together more than 170 of the UK’s leading
social care organisations, representing large numbers of care providers, offering
thousands of services across the country, which are not for profit and always at
the heart of community provision. Collectively, these organisations deliver more
than £2.3 billion of social care and support to more than 277,000 people. The
NCF membership body collectively employs more than 124,000 staff and 14,000
volunteers.
• More information is available on the National Care Forum at
www.nationalcareforum.org.uk. @NCFCareForum @vicrayner @NCF_Liz
• For enquiries, please contact Victoria Garratt
[email protected]
