Launch of the Revised Crisis Care Concordat
Both Keele and Staffordshire University have pledged their commitment to the new Staffordshire Mental Health Crisis Care Concordat to help support the local community and its students with mental health concerns.
The revised Concordat launched at an event on the 2nd March, 2020 at Keele Hall called ‘Meeting the Needs of People in Crisis’. The event launched the new concordat, as well as highlighting existing services and developments, celebrating successes and developing priorities for further action. Over 20 organisations representing health, academia, and criminal justice from across Staffordshire have signed the new Concordat Declaration 2020 to focus on the needs of people in crisis because of a mental health concern and/or emotional distress, and how they can be supported and be kept safe.
Both Professor Pauline Walsh, Keele University’s Pro Vice-Chancellor for Health and Wellbeing, and the Staffordshire Commissioner for Police, Fire and Rescue and Crime, Matthew Ellis opened the launch with an overview of the working happening both at Keele and within the local area. The event also included talks by Dave Spurgeon, Research and Development Manager from Nacro, a social justice charity, Kevin Heffernan, NHS England Lead Commissioner, and Theo Costa from North Staffs Combined Healthcare.
Katie Laverty, the head of Student Services at Keele and Start to Success NHS Liaison Project Officer, Deb Boughey presented on the Start to Success project, providing an understanding to delegates about the specific pressures and challenges that students face and how the project aims to mitigate these.
The original national concordat was launched in 2014 following concerns that people in crisis were unable to access appropriate services, and significant achievements have been made across Staffordshire, including no longer using police cells as a place of safety for people in mental health crisis, implemented the national model for liaison and diversion, and a 24/7 all-age crisis service now being available in the Royal Stoke University Hospital. The revised concordat focuses on partnership working, ensuring that the workforce has the skills it needs, and developing prevention and early intervention services as well as removing barriers to care.
“I’m delighted that Keele is hosting the launch of the new Staffordshire Mental Health Crisis Care Concordat and as a university, we’re delighted to be pledging our support to the initiative which could transform mental health care in the region. Keele launched its own student mental health project last month demonstrating our commitment and ability to work in partnership with local colleges, authorities, police and NHS providers to develop an integrated community approach to mental health and wellbeing.” - Professor Pauline Walsh, Keele’s PVC Health and Wellbeing