health staff and users operated and a commitment was needed in the Government Plan to ensure that improvements would happen in a timely manner. On the 1st May last year, the HCS Minister responded to the Scrutiny report accepting all bar two of the panels recommendations. It was clearly acknowledged by both HCS and Government that improvement across the services was vital to the health and well-being of all Islanders (a key priority within the Common Strategic Policy), if Jersey was to provide the best possible care for those suffering from mental health disorders.


To address one of the panel’s recommendations, to designate a minister specifically for mental health to provide political leadership, the HCS Minister accepted that more focused leadership was required but felt that is was important that mental health remained part of an integrated care system, a view that I shared. The Minister therefore delegated responsibility for mental health services to an Assistant Minister and asked if I would take on the role, which I accepted. Although a serious challenge, I realised early on that it would provide me with the focus I needed as an Assistant Minister and was grateful for the opportunity.


As with any new role, I needed to Page 8 20/20 - Mental Health


fully understand mental health services in Jersey, who were the lead players in providing support and what was already being done to improve services, so I set about meeting key stakeholders to understand their concerns and identify how I could influence change.


I will cover improving the level of care for Islanders later but I would like those reading this article to understand the Government’s commitment to improving the physical environment in which we care for those in need whilst addressing concerns within the Scrutiny Panel report.


As for the physical infrastructure, the scrutiny review highlighted many issues within Orchard House, our facility for treating acute mental health issues. It


raised safety concerns for both staff and service users and was highly critical of both the internal and external environment which was ‘dilapidated and uninviting, tired and offered no therapeutic practice’. The review recommended replacing Orchard House in the short to medium term, but I am pleased to say that safety issues were addressed as a priority and work to the internal and external areas was completed quickly to provide a warmer and more welcoming environment for both those needing care and for staff. An occupational therapist is also now part of the team and we have been successful in recruiting more qualified staff to improve the level of care provided.


The longer-term plan is to relocate services to a newly refurbished and extended Clinique Pinel which will also include a new ‘Place of Safety’ for those in crisis. Pleasingly a planning application was submitted in October and it is intended that subject to approval work will be completed by the end of this year. This will be a massive boost to both staff and patients who often feel constrained at Orchard House by the poor layout. Our ‘front door’ for mental health services has for many years been situated at La Chasse in St Helier and


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