Council split of £8m mental health advocacy fund set to be based on social care needs

The following is an extract from the excellent Mad World Blog ---

Andy McNicoll on August 17, 2012 9:34 AM

Council split of £8m mental health advocacy fund set to be based on social care needs

Should the amount of money a local authority gets to fund independent mental health advocacy (IMHA) services be determined by the local population size or the local social care need levels?

That's the question posed in a Department of Health consultation closing in September. Ministers are considering how best to split the £8.3m the government has committed to IMHA funding among local authorities. Councils will take on responsibility for the services from primary care trusts (PCTs) in 2013 as part of the Health and Social Care Act.

There are two options on the table:

    Option 1: The funding each area needs to provide IMHA services will be proportionate to the size of the local adult population aged 18+. Apparently this would be appropriate if "demand for IMHA services rises in proportion to the size of the local population."

    Option 2: The funding an area needs to provide IMHA services will be proportionate to the relative need in each local authority for state supported social care

The Department of Health admits that both options "are imperfect". But it plumps for option 2 as its "preferred option", arguing that "the social care formulae are likely to be a better reflection of local service need.

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I for one have grave concerns re option 2 ,we are all to well aware of the slight of hand approach to any funds for MH support by varoius statutory bodies, surely a more open funding solution can be found in option 1 ?