Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for Adults - Year 4 - Monitoring and reporting summary

Section B: Process Approach to Delivery

Local Partnership Plans – October 2024

The Fund and its delivery model are now well established and the external evaluation of Year 1 of the Fund, which was published in July 2023, highlighted the success of the delivery approach adopted by TSIs.

In recognition of this and to address the reduction in the Administration and Capacity Building Grant awarded for Year 3 and 4, we significantly reduced the reporting requirements asked of TSIs for these funding rounds, including the removal of the interim stage reporting.

TSIs were asked to coordinate the production of a Fund Local Partnership Plan with local partners to set out local priorities for spend within the parameters of the national Fund criteria. The plans were intended to:

• Agree a set of outcomes for community mental health and wellbeing support locally and identify the contribution the Fund will make to these;
• Ensure coherence of approach locally;
• Tie into existing planning for mental health and community wellbeing;
• Provide a strategic approach to addressing identified priorities locally in line with Fund criteria;
• Take account of current provision and address evidence on gaps in support.

The Local Partnership Plan summary asked for details on Year 4 partnership arrangements, in particular:

• partners involved within the local partnership group;
• national priorities and target group priorities within local partnership plans;
• learning and planned improvements from Year 3 of the Fund; and
• risks and mitigating actions.

The table below details the composition of Local Partnership Groups.

*This includes:

National Lottery Local Representative; Department for Work and Pensions; NHS Forth Valley; Healthcare Improvement Scotland; Forth Valley College; NHS Fife; Education services; Mental Health Partnership; Young People and Family lead for Third Sector; Glasgow Life- Leisure and Community Service; Highland Whole Family Wellbeing Programme; Grampian Regional Equalities Council; North Ayrshire Integrated Joint Board; Independent Sector Representative; Scottish Fire and Rescue; Local Employability Partnership Representative; Children Services Lead; and Community Justice Co-ordinator.

As detailed within the table above, there has been a slight increase in some members and a slight decrease in one (Community Anchor Organisations), compared to previous years.

Fund process: 37% of TSIs reported changes to their local process in Year 4, which included: instigating an expression of interest stage; adjusted funding strands to support underrepresented groups from previous years; one TSI divided the Fund into two open grant programmes; and a few TSIs advised they had reduced the amount applicants could apply for.

Panel Membership : 25% of TSIs reported changes to their panel membership in Year 4, which included: expansion of the partnership panel; including new third sector colleagues and extending membership to a Local Authority Lead for the Children and Young People Fund.

Support for applicants: 21% of TSIs reported changes to support in place for applicants, including: information events around the Fund; workshops and sessions to support applicants in completing an application and meeting the criteria; 1-1 sessions for applicants; face to face sessions for early enquires and support; and a community commissioning event to encourage community collaboration.

Application and assessment process: 21% of TSIs reported changes they had implemented in the application and assessment process, including: utilisation of new software to improve the process; reviewing the assessment process and implementing a new proforma for scoring and assessing change; and changes to the process to ensure all applications are reviewed by a panel.

Application timeframe: 18% of TSIs reported changes they had made to the application timeframe, including: setting a deadline for groups to apply this year as opposed to a rolling program; opening the Fund earlier and closing earlier; and one TSI mentioned opening the fund earlier to give applicants a longer period to apply.