UP to half-a-million people across Birmingham and the West Midlands could be given specialist training in mental health first aid as part of a wide-ranging plan to tackle the issue.

With poor mental health costing the region an estimated £12.5 billion a year through lost productivity, welfare support and use of emergency services bosses have drawn up a major plan to tackle the issue.

Led by Lid Dem MP and former care minister Norman Lamb, the West Midlands Thrive report recommends a series of actions for health services, councils, police, justice system and employers to get to grips with poor mental health.

These include training 500,000 people over ten years in Mental Health First Aid, a course designed for the general public to help them identify and offer basic support to colleagues, family or anyone else they see suffering with mental health problems.

Further measures include a new Wellbeing ‘kitemark’ for businesses and employers who offer mental health support, targeted help to get people into jobs and a home, more use of mental health treatment by courts as an alternative to prison, work with the NHS to encourage earlier diagnosis and treatment and a ban on use of in-patient care outside the region.

The report follows almost a year of evidence gathering and investigation by the Mental Health Commission set up by the West Midlands Combined Authority. The commission included a jury of 14 people with mental health needs who provided the benefit of their first hand experience.

Jury member Holly Moyse said that she had at first been refused treatment for anorexia nervosa. “Many of the jury received the same mistreatment I did, as well other issues such as support back into work and housing difficulties.”

She said that too many people ‘languish’ between being too ill to get on with life but not ill enough for emergency treatment.

Many of the jury’s recommendations have found their way into the mental health plan.

Commission chairman Norman Lamb said that they are aware of the funding issues facing the NHS, social care and support services, but added that the action plan has been developed to be deliverable.

He added: “We recognise that addressing these issues will be challenging. But the scale of need means that we have to act. Business as usual is not acceptable. We can all play our part in helping to end the injustice suffered by those with mental ill health. If we have the will, we can have a massive impact on the lives of people and communities across the West Midlands.”

The charity CLASP has also launched Walking Out Of Darkness, a 10 mile walk through Birmingham City Centre and Cannon Hill Park on Saturday, May 6 to raise awareness of mental health issues.

Mental health in the West Midlands

Action Plan:

1. Individual Placement Support: Provide trained employment specialists to help secure jobs and provide intensive extra support while in work.

This has been proven as the most successful approach, and in longer terms lowers dependency on welfare and health services.

2. West Midlands Workplace Wellbeing Commitment: A quality ‘kitemark’ style system for employers who support those with mental health needs.

3. This commitment should be requirement for firms bidding for local council and public sector contracts.

4. Wellbeing Premium: Negotiate with Government to provide a tax incentive to firms who provide support for staff with mental health needs

5. Housing First: Offer intensive support to get homeless into a good home.

6. Divert from prison: Make more use of the Mental Health Treatment Requirement orders in courts

7. More support for people with mental health problems leaving prison

8. Zero suicide commitment: Sets ambitious target for public services and agencies which can drive down suicide rates

9. Embed mental health prevention and treatment in primary care (GPs) services

10. Ensure West Midlands treats psychosis early and effectively

11. And more early diagnosis and treatment for other mental health conditions

12. End out of area in-patient mental health treatments. Ensure enough beds are available in the West Midlands

13. Consider alternatives to in-patient care - such as crisis houses

14. Reduce use of restraint for in-patients.

15. Further introduce choice, for example giving patients more say in how their funding is used to support them

16. Improve perinatal mental health.

17. Research into why mental health detentions are rising.

18. Raise awareness of mental health issues in the wider community.

19. Mental health first aid scheme to give 500,000 people training to help.

Full report and plan are available from the West Midlands Combined Authority