Scottish Mental Health Nursing Review

15. Annex D - Policy Drivers

There are multiple areas of policy development and delivery at local and Scottish Government levels and across all sectors, which impact and influence the mental health nursing profession. This Review Report does not seek to duplicate the work already underway, but rather to align with it and identify opportunities for mental health nurses to participate, influence and lead.

The range of policies, programmes and initiatives that have an impact and influence on the profession include (but not limited to):

The Scottish Mental Health Law Review final report was published in September 2022 and set out over 200 proposals for change to the mental health system as well as broader areas including health and social care, justice and public sector scrutiny. The Mental Health and Capacity Reform Programme is now looking at how we can update and modernise our mental health and capacity legislation to better reflect international human rights standards. Alongside efforts to strengthen legislation, the Programme will drive action to support decision-making and improve the way that human rights are put into practice across mental health services. It will aim to bring changes that give people greater control over their own lives, care, and treatment.

Scotland’s Mental Health Core Standards support general adult secondary mental health services. These standards are part of a broader suite of standards and specifications, including Psychological Therapies Interventions and Eating Disorders specifications and build on the work of the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services specification.

The Learning Disabilities, Autism and Neurodivergence Bill represents a significant opportunity to bring forward legislation which aims to ensure that the rights of neurodivergent people, including autistic people and people with learning disabilities, are respected, protected and championed. The public consultation on the Bill was open from December 2023 to April 2024 and received nearly 900 responses during that time, demonstrating the relevance and importance of this legislation for the people of Scotland. The consultation included proposals for mandatory training on learning disabilities and neurodivergence for public sector employees in health and social care in the first instance, which would include our mental health nursing workforce, with the possibility of this being broadened to include other public sector areas. We continue to develop our proposals for the mandatory training programme and the next steps will be to publish draft provisions for the Bill, which will take into account insights and views gathered through the analysis of consultation responses. This will allow us to seek views on our finalised proposals and how the legislation will be framed.

Following the passing of The Bankruptcy and Diligence (Scotland) Bill in June 2024, mental health nurses can initiate a Mental Health Moratorium application on debt recovery action and to provide support for their patients and carers during this process. This will help address the risks of financial harms when people need support during periods of acute mental health needs.

The Scottish Patient Safety Programme, led by Health Improvement Scotland (HIS), focuses on enhancing the quality and safety of mental health care across Scottish boards. It has developed national guidance for boards that provides guidelines on minimising the use of restrictive practice, while prioritising a safer and more positive experience for patients.

Creating Hope Together is Scotland’s national suicide prevention strategy and action plan. The strategy’s vision is to reduce the number of suicide deaths in Scotland, whilst tackling the inequalities which contribute to suicide. To achieve this, all sectors must come together in partnership, and we must support our communities, so they become safe, compassionate, inclusive, and free of stigma. The aim is for any child, young person or adult who has thoughts of taking their own life, or are affected by suicide, to get the help they need and feel a sense of hope.

The Self-Harm Strategy in November 2023, Scottish Government & COSLA published a dedicated Self-Harm Strategy and Action Plan. The strategy recognises that not everyone who self-harms will be suicidal and is about making sure that anyone affected by self-harm gets the compassionate, recovery-focused support they need, without fear of stigma or discrimination. The Scottish Government has invested in the development of bespoke self-harm support services through Self- Harm Network Scotland (SHNS), run by Penumbra. SHNS support people who self-harm as well as providing support and learning resources for staff, loved ones and communities to feel more equipped to respond when someone is affected by self-harm.

National Trauma Transformation Programme: Through the National Trauma Transformation Programme, Scotland has paved the way in creating a vision of a trauma-informed and responsive workforce, and services that can recognise where people are affected by trauma and adversity, and that respond in ways that prevent further harm, support recovery, address inequalities and improve life chances. The Programme is based on the Knowledge and Skills Framework for Psychological Trauma, developed by NES. This framework sets out the knowledge and skills needed by everyone in the Scottish workforce, including mental health nurses, to be able to recognise where an individual may be affected by trauma and to adapt their practice accordingly to minimise distress and support recovery through a safe and compassionate response.