Mental Health and Wellbeing Delivery Plan: easy read version

The Actions

Looking at the whole system

By autumn 2027, we will:

• find out what support people need for their mental health and wellbeing
• decide what to check to know that services are helping people and meeting their needs
• create a ‘blueprint’ guide that explains mental health and wellbeing services and how they work together
• look at how community teams work and find ways to improve them

Staff

By 2030, we will have better information about staff in mental health services. This will help us understand what staff we have and what staff are needed to deliver services and support.

Public Services Delivery Scotland (PSD Scotland) will produce new guidance to help services deliver care which:

• promotes good mental health
• helps people stay mentally well

PSD Scotland helps health and social care services have the staff and skills they need. It supports training, learning and planning for the workforce across Scotland.

Online help

By the end of 2027, more online tools to help with your mental health will be made and tested. The plan will also make it easier for people to get online help.

Services will work to make sure online help is safe and easy to use.

Changes to the law

By summer 2027, work will be completed to start changing the law where we need to. It will be for adults who may not be able to make their own decisions without help.

The plan will look at how people are looked after in mental health hospitals. This includes making sure people are safe and treated with respect.

By summer 2028, the Scottish Government will look at laws about Specified Persons. How they are used in mental health settings and make them better.

A patient who is detained in hospital under mental health law can be made a specified person by their doctor. That allows special rules to be put in place around things like:

• telephone use
• letters
• belongings

Detained means not allowed to leave.

Checking services are safe

Mental health services will be checked.

This helps make sure services are safe and provide good care.

Keeping People Safe

Some people use mental health services during or after being in the criminal justice system. We will work to help keep people safe across this service.

Keeping good mental health

Work

We will work with employers help them understand how to support good mental health.

In 2027 to 2028, we will focus on the mental health of young people. We will help them when they are starting work or returning to work.

Housing

In 2027 to 2028, we will help social housing providers to give better mental health help. Social housing means council or housing association homes.

Children and young people

By early 2027, we will find out more about the things that affect children and young people's mental health and wellbeing.

We will make plans so children and young people get advice and help when they need it.

Help in the community

Mental health hubs

There will be more walk-in mental health hubs in communities in the next 3 years. People will not need an appointment for help. These services will work with GP services and other services.

People Seeking Asylum and Refugees

In 2026 to 2027, we will test ways for refugees and people seeking asylum to get help with mental health. This help will be based on their needs and experiences.

A person seeking asylum has left their country because they are in danger. They have asked for protection in another country. A Refugee has been given protection and allowed to stay in another country.