Serious concerns that social care for adults with mental health issues in Norfolk is not good enough has led to the county council taking responsibility for the service away from the mental health trust.
Care of vulnerable Norfolk adults with mental health problems suffered a fresh blow after the plug was pulled on a £4m-a-year contract amid major concerns about provision.
Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT) was urged last year to urgently improve social care for adults suffering mental health issues.
However, County Hall chiefs announced yesterday that the service, which provides support for around 1,600 people a year, will be transferred back to the control of the county council later this year.
For six years, social care for 18 to 65-year-olds with mental health problems has been provided by staff from NSFT. However, an independent review identified a number of areas for improvement and the NHS trust was given a year to address issues.
Officials from the county council yesterday said a new model of social care would be adopted from September this year, and directly managed by the local authority.
Around 100 mental health staff are set to transfer to the employment of the council by the autumn.
Norman Lamb, North Norfolk MP and health minister, said he would be monitoring the changes closely.
'My concern is to ensure that we improve and enhance joined-up integration teams working between social services and mental health. I absolutely would not want to see a service split up with service users falling through the gaps between social services and mental health. I am assured that it is not their [Norfolk County Council's] intention and provided that is the case, I can understand the decision to monitor the service and have more control,' he said.
The service consists of social workers who are specially trained to deal with people with severe mental health needs. The team also provides round-the-clock emergency support to assess whether people need to be detained under the mental health act and specialist social workers who work with people with drug and alcohol issues.
Sue Whitaker, cabinet member for adult social services at the council, said they would continue to work closely with NSFT in the future.
'We need to revise and strengthen the way we provide social care for people with mental health needs and we feel the best way to achieve this is to manage the service directly. We're not the only council to take a decision like this in this context, so this isn't simply a Norfolk issue.
'Both the council and the Norfolk and Suffolk Foundation Trust are committed to making this transition happen as smoothly as possible, for staff and particularly people who use the service.'
The county council pays NSFT £4.1m a year for the social care service. The trust is currently undergoing a major redesign of services to reduce its budget by 20pc.
Andrew Hopkins, acting chief executive at NSFT, said: 'The council and the trust have been working to review the current arrangements and while there are positive things about the current arrangements, both parties recognise that the service has not been working as well as we would want.'
Terry Skyrme, of the Campaign to Save Mental Health Services in Norfolk and Suffolk, added: 'It must throw their [NSFT's] service strategy into chaos, but we do not know the full implications yet. We were integrated, but this is disintegration and it means more change and instability.'
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here