Mental Health and Wellbeing Delivery Plan

1.1 System Reform We will drive transformation of whole system mental health services across Scotland over the next five years, as part of an integrated, whole system approach to health and social care support. This will ensure people can quickly and easily access high quality, responsive care that meets their needs.

Key deliverables to achieve this system transformation are:

• Produce a Strategic Needs Assessment to understand Scotland’s population mental health and wellbeing needs, now and in the future (by summer 2027).
• To build on our current quality indicators, performance measures and the Core Mental Health Standards, to create a new set of outcome measures covering the full spectrum of mental health need (based on outcomes and experiences for people) - on which our entire mental health and wellbeing system can be strategically planned and evaluated around (by summer 2027).
• Develop an initial Mental Health and Wellbeing Service Blueprint for Scotland in partnership with delivery partners (by autumn 2027). This Blueprint will set out:
• inclusive and culturally sensitive optimal models of stepped and matched care to meet the range and complexity of population mental health and wellbeing need, including those with severe and enduring mental illness, allowing for appropriate flexibility across different geographic areas.
• how seamless, person-centred care is achieved through integrated service planning and design across community based, primary and secondary care, and commissioned services.
• which services should be delivered nationally (including digitally), sub-nationally (using NHS sub-national planning structures) and through local partnerships.
• the governance, workforce, infrastructure and funding models necessary to deliver reformed services.
• Based on an understanding of local need, consider and develop as appropriate a specification tor Community Mental Health Teams, as part of the Blueprint to help strengthen community-based models of care.

1.3 Digital Across the life of the plan, we will seek to improve access to appropriate digital supports and services, as well as the quality and safety of relevant digital provision.
Work will include:

• Continuing to develop and test digital technologies to support mental health and wellbeing, as well as continuing to improve access to digital therapies (by end 2027).
• Recognising the quantity and variance of mental health digital resources now on the market, COSLA, the Scottish Government and PSD Scotland will continue to explore options for supporting national and local partners to procure safe, quality digital resources across the public sector, identifying next steps by spring 2027.

1.5 Assurance National assurance has been strengthened through the establishment of routine inspection programmes by Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS), including:

• Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services inspections.
• Stronger follow-up to support and ensure services act on inspection findings.
• We will continue to build on these and ensure that recommendations are used to drive improvement.
• Consider how the Scottish Government and partners including employers and PSD Scotland use reports and intelligence from Mental Welfare Commission, PSD Scotland and HIS to inform future education and training needs for the workforce.

1.6 Public Protection Over the lifetime of this plan, the Scottish Government will work with health, justice and community partners to strengthen public protection arrangements across the forensic mental health system, supporting safe, effective and person-centred care while balancing public safety with patients' rights, rehabilitation and recovery. This will include:

• strengthening multi-agency information sharing to support effective risk assessment and management;
• improving oversight and governance across the forensic mental health system;
• delivering Ministers' statutory responsibilities in relation to restricted patients;
• ensuring alignment between forensic mental health public protection arrangements and MAPPA/MAPPS processes, where appropriate; and
• promoting collaborative working across health, justice and community partners to improve outcomes for individuals and communities.

2.3 Trauma informed approaches We will support leadership, locally and nationally, to embed trauma informed approaches and an understanding of prevention across policy, decision making and service delivery:

• Working with the Improvement Service in 2027-2028, COSLA will provide up to date information for local authority leaders, supporting the consideration of mental health and wellbeing, and the application of a trauma informed approach across the breadth of their work.

• Over the next three years, following robust evaluation we will expand community-based mental health supports with the development of walk-in mental health hubs across Scotland, like the SAMH Nook. This work will learn from and build upon the range of existing community-based supports and walk-in models available, including a focus on early intervention and prevention and providing immediate support for those experiencing crisis. The work will be aligned to work on mental health unscheduled care and safe spaces, including learning from research projects to make the social and economic case for increasing the availability of safe spaces.
• A key focus will be on strengthening links between community-based supports, GP walk-in clinics, primary care and mental health services.

3.2 People seeking asylum and refugees
The Scottish Government will lead a project to improve mental health outcomes for refugees and people seeking asylum in Scotland:

• During 2026-27, the Scottish Government will pilot community-led mental health support designed specifically to meet the needs of refugees and people seeking asylum in Scotland. This project, to be delivered in partnership with the third sector, will provide peer support through both targeted outreach and a hub approach in areas of high demand.