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Jersey adult mental health care has 'lack of leadership'

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The service covers a wide range of issues from drug and alcohol treatment to dementia care

Adult mental health services in Jersey are suffering from a lack of leadership and direction, a review has said.

An independent report also found "inadequate systems" to learn from serious incidents and "poor management supervision".

The report also said there was "silo working" by staff and more work was also needed to end a "previous bullying culture".

Jersey's government said it was "committed to improving" the service.

The service covers a wide range of issues from drug and alcohol treatment to dementia care.

The report was based on visits and interviews between 29 September and 2 October by Prof Peter Lepping and Simon Pyke at the request of the Health and Community Services Department.

Among its recommendations were:

  • A review of senior management structure "to ensure it is fit for purpose"
  • Making sure clear objectives are regularly reviewed
  • Ensuring measurable outcomes, such as improvement in symptoms or functioning of patients
  • Possibly putting a merger with adults social care on hold until mental health care is considered safer

It criticised a "lack of a system to ratify, manage and implement policies and procedures".

And it said several people interviewed commented on a previous bullying culture.

"This had been addressed and had improved considerably," said the report.

"More work needs to be done to develop and maintain this improvement."

Deputy Richard Renouf, Minister for Health and Community Services, said adult mental health services were a "much-used and much-valued service" which the government was "committed to improving".

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