The Health and Adult Services Scrutiny Committee met on Wednesday, 22 April 2026, to discuss the progress of the Community Mental Health Transformation Programme and receive an update on Lancashire Constabulary's Right Care, Right Person initiative. The committee also reviewed the work programmes for the committee and its steering group.

Community Mental Health Transformation Programme Update

The committee received a comprehensive update on the Community Mental Health Transformation Programme, which began in 2023 with the aim of improving access to mental health services and promoting wellbeing. The programme has focused on developing integrated neighbourhood teams, co-locating services, and enhancing early intervention and prevention strategies.

Key achievements highlighted include:

• Integrated Neighbourhood Teams: The establishment of district-based hubs or enhanced multidisciplinary teams (eMDTs) involving professionals from health, social care, and the voluntary sector. These hubs aim to provide a team of teams approach around individuals, ensuring a more streamlined and person-centred experience.
• Improved Access to Services: Developments include strengthened accommodation pathways, such as step-down facilities and residential rehabilitation, and improved access to employment support through the Individual Placement Support (IPS) scheme.
• Prevention Focus: The Mental Health and Wellbeing Team (MHWBT) works with primary care networks and voluntary, community, faith, and social enterprise (VCFSE) partners to deliver early intervention and preventative support. The use of the Public Health in Lancashire bus has also been a way to increase visibility and facilitate early conversations about wellbeing.
• Co-occurring Conditions Improvement Programme: Launched in September 2025, this programme aims to address the poorer outcomes experienced by individuals with co-occurring mental health and substance use needs through improved access, visibility, harm reduction, and coroner's assurance.

Concerns were raised regarding the reliance on the voluntary, community, and faith sector, with questions about ensuring equal partnership, access to training, and the existence of a central record of concerns. The need for better communication and more accessible information was also highlighted.

The committee discussed the challenges of workforce capacity, waiting lists for community mental health assessments, and the need for more consistent aftercare following hospital discharge. The issue of housing was repeatedly identified as a significant barrier to achieving good outcomes.

Lancashire Constabulary - Right Care, Right Person Update

Superintendent Martin Storey provided an update on Lancashire Constabulary's Right Care, Right Person programme. This initiative aims to ensure that police responses to concern for safety reports are proportionate and that individuals are signposted to the most appropriate agencies with statutory responsibilities.

The programme utilises the Public Assistance and Service Standards (PASS) policy to grade incidents and the THRIVE+ model for risk assessment. Over the past 12 months, approximately 35,000 concern for safety reports were received, with police deploying to around 63% of these incidents. When a decision is made not to deploy, control room operators can escalate the matter to a supervisor for review. Since the programme's introduction in 2022, there have been no occasions where a coroner has issued a formal notice to the Constabulary relating to its implementation.

The committee heard about the work of street triage teams, which comprise trained police officers working alongside healthcare professionals from Lancashire and South Cumbria Foundation Trust (LSCFT). These teams respond to mental health calls where attendance is deemed necessary, facilitating information sharing and balanced decision-making.

Concerns were raised about the telephone resolution category, with questions about the timescales for referrals to other agencies. It was clarified that if the police do not feel there is an immediate risk to life, callers are advised to re-contact if there is any increase in risk.

Health Scrutiny Steering Group and Committee Work Programmes

The committee received reports on the activities of the Health Scrutiny Steering Group and reviewed the work programmes for both the committee and the steering group for 2025/26.

The Health Scrutiny Steering Group met on 24 February and 7 April 2026, considering updates from Healthwatch Lancashire, the NHS Quality Impact Assessment Review, and the University Hospitals Morecambe Bay Trust. Discussions also covered the Better Care Fund.

The committee was asked to review the work programmes and recommendation responses. It was noted that as this was the last full meeting of the committee for the year, a session would be arranged in May to discuss the work programme for 2026/27.

Recommendations

Following the discussions, several recommendations were put forward:

• Location of support housing and hubs.
• Further information on drop-in sessions and centres.
• A presentation on housing.
• Figures for A&E attendance for mental health patients being sent there for a place of safety.
• Improved housing offer, with greater flexibility and responsiveness.
• Development of data that is meaningful for community health and wellbeing teams, focusing on outcomes for individuals.
• Consideration of the role of an advocate for preventative support.
• Streamlining bureaucracy between social care and health professionals.
• Ensuring district council input into system leader groups addressing housing.
• A future report on lessons learned from the Winter Plan, including actions to improve patient flow, reduce corridor care, and minimise unnecessary ward moves.
• Consideration of opportunities for further investment in preventative health initiatives, targeted community-based support for people on low incomes, and support for those with chronic or enduring conditions.