Delivering Race Equality
The Department of Health has drafted Delivering Race Equality: a framework for action for consultation in response to a concerns over a number of years that mental health services are not being delivered to people from Black and minority ethnic (BME) communities experiencing mental illness and distress in a way that is appropriate to their needs. Delivering Race Equality is intended to set out what those planning, delivering and monitoring local primary care and mental health services need to do to improve services for users, relatives and carers from Black and minority ethnic communities. Peter Ferns, an independent training consultant with a wealth of experience in equality issues, has co-ordinated a response from SPN which asks the DOH to consider social perspectives in the implementation, support and delivery of mental health services to black and ethnic communities.
The DOH asked for views on what needs to be done at national level to provide support and leadership to those carrying out this work. These views needed to reach the DOH by 23 January 2004.
The DOH report
'Delivering Race Equality: A Framework for Action'
(October 2003)
Updated report (January 2005)
Published 11 January 2005, this later document combines (a) a five-year action plan for reducing inequalities in Black and minority ethnic patients' access to, experience of, and outcomes from mental health services; and (b) the Government response to the recommendations made by the inquiry into the death of David Bennett.
Download
'Delivering race equality in mental health care:
An action plan for reform inside and outside services
and The Government’s response to the independent inquiry into the death of David Bennett
(11 January 2005)
SPN's concerns with Delivering Race Equality are:
That the emphasis appears to be on community engagement not on community development.
The need to genuinely change mental health services for this group is not strongly enough addresses.
It is not clear how the three components of the strategy will produce the desired outcomes i.e. the process and mechanisms that will achieve change, There could be greater and more appropriate emphasis on practitioner training.
The history of services for BME needs to be addressed before people can move on.
The integration of the new Community Development Workers with other mental health practitioners is not clear.
There is not a strong enough commitment to a modern social perspective as part of the strategy.
SPN has prepared a full response to this paper, led by Peter Ferns. As the deadline for responding to the DOH is very tight, responses had to be submitted to SPN by 13 January 2004. Members were asked to consider the following:
1. How well does Delivering Race Equality (DRE) promote a social model of mental health?
2. What level of involvement of Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) service users and carers can you foresee in this strategy?
3. What are the good points of DRE?
4. Do you think that the strategy will tackle institutional racial discrimination effectively in mental health services? What is your rationale?
5. How far will the strategy lead to improvements in direct practice with BME people?
6. What are the strengths and weaknesses of the Community Development Workers (CDW’s) proposed by the strategy?
7. What do you think the role of the CDW’s should be?
8. What kind of training and support should the CDW’s be given?
9. What improvements can be made to the strategy?
10. How can/should SPN support the implementation of this initiative?
Read SPN's Response to ‘Delivering Race Equality’ (January 2004)
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