Centre for Mental Health has called for support and advice for vulnerable people in financial difficulty at all NHS mental health services.

A report from the Centre for Mental Health has called for dedicated funding for welfare advisors at all NHS mental health services. The centre argues that support and advice for vulnerable people in financial difficulty should be a core part of the provision, not an optional add-on.

It wants to see such services, provided by specialists in the voluntary sector, embedded into everyday community care as well as in hospitals and clinics.

The report cites examples of three health services which have partnered up with two charities, Citizens Advice and Accommodation Concern, to provide welfare support to patients.

This includes assisting with benefit applications and appeals, advice on debt and navigating the lengthy housing process.

The service reduced the pressure on mental health staff to provide advice on financial and legal issues, which they are not trained to do, and enabled them to focus on the patient’s clinical recovery.

Shortened hospital stays

The report, commissioned by Citizens Advice, found such support also shortened hospital stays and prevented readmissions for some.

However, all three services, in Sheffield, Kettering and Winchester, described how demand outstrips their capacity and suggest recruiting additional advisors.

“Welfare advice should be a part of any mental health service anywhere,” said Andy Bell, chief executive at Centre for Mental Health.

“High-quality advice, provided by properly trained and managed workers, makes mental health services better and more efficient,” he added.

The charity wants to see welfare advice prioritised in the government’s forthcoming modern service framework for serious mental illness in England, part of its wider 10 Year Health Plan.

The centre is calling for annual funding for such services to be replaced with multi-year models, in order to work towards long-term, reliable provision.

“We have seen for many years the difference that trusted welfare advice embedded within mental health services can make to people’s recovery,” said Salma Yasmeen, chief executive at Sheffield Health Partnership University Trust, which is partnered with Citizens Advice and is cited in the report.

“This report rightly recognises that welfare advice is an essential part of effective mental health care,” she added.