Basildon Council has been recognised as an exemplar in the provision of services to relieve poor mental health and will now become a signatory of the Public Health England Prevention Concordat for Better Mental Health.
The Concordat is a Public Health England-led initiative that describes the shared commitment of organisations to work together through local and national action, to prevent mental health problems and promote good mental health.
The signing of the Concordat was agreed by councillors at last night’s Housing and Communities Committee (Tuesday 23 February).
Councillor Andrew Gordon, Vice-Chair of the Committee and Chair of the Basildon Health & Wellbeing Partnership, said: “Signing up to the Concordat is an opportunity to join a community of practice working towards creating resilient communities and building the case for a shift to support prevention activity.
“The light has been shined on mental health issues during this pandemic and we have taken the issue very seriously. The council has identified opportunities to make a positive difference to health and wellbeing through its direct responsibilities for housing, leisure and public spaces, as well as through its more strategic role which influences other parts of the local system and wider economy.
“In March 2020’s meeting, we adopted an approach to include health in all policies within the Basildon Health and Wellbeing Strategy. This approach has been recognised as best practice in two separate 2020 reports from the Commission for Equality in Mental Health since then.
“And just recently we’ve issued over £50,000 worth of grants to support organisations offering mental health services in the borough, through working with local partners.
“We’re thrilled to be able to sign this Concordat, to further support the prevention of mental health problems and promoting good mental health amongst residents. And we’re grateful to Public Health England for recognising the great work we’ve been doing in recent years to alleviate poor mental health within our borough.”
