JSNA: Topic Specific Reports

1. Self-reported wellbeing in Wolverhampton has historically been worse than in the west midlands and England for Happiness, Worthwhile and Life satisfaction. Anxiety levels were previously lower but are increasing.
2. In England, people with Severe Mental Illness (SMI) die on average 15 to 20 years earlier, often due to preventable causes. Wolverhampton is worse than England overall for premature mortality in adults with SMI.

Local priorities include: · Becoming a Prevention Concordat for Better Mental Health - GOV.UK Signatory.

• Understanding more about mental health inequalities.
• Improving uptake of and outcomes from the annual SMI Physical Health Check.
• Ensuring people with SMI access cancer screening in line with national targets.
• Support development of NHS tobacco dependence pathways for people using mental health services.
• Making sure advice on welfare rights, benefits, and finance is accessible for people with SMI and their families/carers.

Related Documents:
Adult Mental Health Joint Strategic Needs Assessment 2023 1.pdf

Problem gambling is more likely to be prevalent amongst those with higher educational qualifications, employment, and lower relative deprivation. However, gambling harm exacerbates, wider inequalities and is associated with unemployment and those living in more deprived areas and poorer health.

Groups within the population who are disproportionately affected by gambling harms include:

• Males, who are more likely to be affected by gambling harms, specifically those aged 25-34 years excluding those who participate in the national lottery.
• Those from ethnic minorities and specifically the South Asian population.
• Those with poor mental health.
• Individuals drinking at harmful levels.
• People who are unemployed.

The needs assessment concludes further intelligence is needed in order to further understand the prevalence of gambling harm in Wolverhampton and establish effective pathways into local and national support services.

Local priorities include:

• The development of a systematic gambling strategy to prevent, minimise and respond to harm.
• Training for professionals to understand and identify gambling related harm.
• Working with commissioners of regional support services to enhance local access into provision.
• Utilising lived experience to inform and develop future service provision.
• Developing robust data collection processes across primary care, secondary care and community services.
• Undertaking a mapping exercise of licensed premises by type and quantity and reviewing licensing applications for gambling premises.
• Implementation of nationally recognised education and training programmes across educational settings.

Related Documents:
GRH - RNA Infographic.pdf

The Suicide Prevention Needs Assessment was undertaken under the guidance of the Wolverhampton Suicide Prevention Stakeholder Forum and was intended to be a comprehensive overview of data and evidence relevant to the incidence and risk of suicide in the city of Wolverhampton. The Needs Assessment was started in late 2022 and published in June 2023.

Key Findings

The key findings from the Needs Assessment were as follows:
Suicide risk reflects wider inequalities – with those in poorer communities more likely to be affected.

Groups within any population who are disproportionately affected by suicide include:

• Men -prevalence of suicide has been consistently higher in men when compared with women
• People with poor mental health
• People with long term physical health conditions
• Adults with autism
• Pregnant women and new mothers
• People who are unemployed and people from some Occupational Groups

In Children and Young People (CYP) there is an increased risk in looked after children, care leavers and those in the youth justice system. Risk is higher in CYP who have mental health problems, behavioural disorders, misuse substances, have experienced family breakdown, abuse or neglect, come from families where there is a prevalence of mental health problems or have been affected by suicide in the family.

The evidence review has identified an increased risk in people where the following risk factors are prevalent:

• History of self-harm
• Problem gambling
• Excessive alcohol consumption
• Chronic loneliness and isolation
• Exposure to domestic abuse
• Financial insecurity
• Being affected by suicide

The recommendations from the JSNA include:

• Recognising the risk factors for suicide in children and young people and to embed a preventative approach across educational settings starting in Early Years promoting a parity between achievement and wellbeing.
• Recognising the risk factors in the groups deemed to be at greater risk and to develop and deliver targeted, evidence-based interventions for these groups.
• Empowering communities through training local citizens and professionals to identify and support those who may be at risk.
• Encouraging communities to reach out to others with compassion to build connections that reduce loneliness
• Ensuring there is a local offer of prevention, intervention and postvention services which is equitable and accessible for the diverse population of Wolverhampton.
• Ensuring connectivity between services and professionals so that individuals can be supported to access a service that meets their need.
• Embedding Safety Planning across primary care, social care and acute healthcare as a preventative intervention that can be referred to by individuals and those who are close to them at times of need.
• Recognising the impact financial hardship has on the risk of suicide, raise awareness and deliver support in settings that support people facing unemployment, debt and risk of homelessness.
• Accessing and interpreting Real Time Surveillance of Suspected Suicide data which will enable data informed local targeted prevention activity.

The findings of the JSNA will be applied in the formulation of a refreshed Suicide Prevention Strategy for Wolverhampton.

Related Documents:
Wolverhampton Suicide Prevention JSNA May 2023.pdf

Ill health can be both a cause and consequence of homelessness. People experiencing homelessness often face some of the most significant health inequalities of all; with average life expectancy around 30 years lower than that of the general population.

To help people sustain stable accommodation, more action is required to enable better integration of health and social care, and to help people access the healthcare services they require.

The HHNA recognises the importance of gaining a deeper understanding of the barriers that people experiencing homelessness may face in accessing services, as well as how equipped healthcare services are to work with people who are experiencing often complex, interacting social and health challenges.

The key recommendations for the local health and social care system are:

• Agree an all-partner commitment to undertake the NG214 - Integrated health and social care for people experiencing homelessness self-assessment to identify good practice and respond to areas for further development.
• Consider the introduction of an integrated commissioning response involving health, social care and accommodation services, informed by people with lived experiences of homelessness.
• Establish a Wolverhampton Health Inclusion steering group (or equivalent) as a subgroup of the One Wolverhampton and Homelessness Prevention strategy governance structures.

Related Documents:
Wolverhampton Homeless Health Needs Audit 2023 - Full Report FINAL v1.0.pdf
Homeless Health Needs Audit 2023 - Summary.pdf

The purpose of this rapid needs assessment is to provide an evidence-based, data-informed overview of the mental health needs of women in Wolverhampton during the perinatal period, identify their potentially modifiable risk factors, and map the health services currently available to respond to that need. This report aims to provide information to public health professionals, commissioners, and providers to help shape future interventions and improve current services in line with the needs of the local population.

Perinatal mental health problems are those that occur during pregnancy (pre-/antenatal period) or the first year following the birth of a child (postnatal or postpartum period).1 They affect between 10 and 20% of women2 and include, among others, perinatal depression, perinatal anxiety, postnatal PTSD and OCD, and postpartum psychosis.

Recommendations for the local health and social care system:

• Consider improving the collection of, and access to, data on perinatal mental health across local services
• Consider evaluating specialist services providing care to women with severe or complex perinatal mental illness
• Consider reviewing the support provided to women with mild-to-moderate mental illness
• Consider reviewing the support provided by universal services in promoting healthy pregnancies
• Consider reviewing the training provided to the universal services’ workforce on perinatal mental health

Related Documents:
PMH RNA.pdf

This report provides an analysis of the questions in relation to the emotional health and wellbeing of young people in the city and appropriate results have been presented in a variety of ways to highlight key findings.

These reports have been produced to disseminate the findings of the survey and promote further action and discussion in schools and other organisations. The results will be discussed by relevant forums and partnerships. We hope you will be able to use these results in your own thinking and discussions with young people.

Related Documents:
Wolverhampton HRBS Emotional Health and Wellbeing 2023.pdf

Children and young people’s emotional and mental health has been getting worse in recent years, in Wolverhampton and across the country. The coronavirus pandemic increased the strain on many families, children and young people.

This needs assessment brings together information that can be used by organisations in Wolverhampton to improve emotional and mental support for children, young people, and those who care for them.

It considered:

• What children and young people need
• What support is available for them
• How we could improve support
• What we need to know more about

Recommendations for the local health and social care system:

• Work needs to be done to reduce the time children wait for help from child and youth mental health support service in Wolverhampton.
• There should be clear and up to date information about what support is available and how to get it.
• All schools and colleges should provide a consistent quality of emotional and mental health support for pupils.
• More exploration is needed with communities and organisations to make sure services meet the needs of children and young people in minoritised ethnic groups.
• Training needs should be explored and addressed so the wide workforce who are in contact with children and young people can support their emotional and mental health.
• Services should improve the collection of information needed to make decisions about improving support.

Related Documents:
Wolverhampton CYP EMH NA accessible summary final 1.pdf
Wolverhampton CYP EMH Needs Assessment 2023 final 1.pdf