Calling for investment in the mental health workforce

Ahead of next year’s General Election, we have published our first Think Ahead manifesto for urgent transformation of the mental health workforce.

Workforce Matters: A Manifesto, shares the often challenging reality of life on the frontline and impact the ongoing workforce crisis is having on people’s care.

Developed with mental health practitioners across the NHS and social care sector, and people with lived experience, we argue that any incoming government serious about improving the mental health of the country, must prioritise the mental health workforce.

A manifesto for change

Over the last fifteen years, we have thankfully seen awareness of mental health and wellbeing grow. But that progress will be wasted if the ongoing workforce crisis is not addressed.

We need more than well-intentioned awareness raising campaigns, we need a thriving workforce with fully resourced teams, manageable workloads, proper pay and working conditions.

Have five minutes? Read the the short version of our Manifesto here

Have a little longer? Read the full Manifesto here

Our mental health workforce needs better support

Mental health professionals have chosen a career that supports others, yet they are far too often inadequately supported themselves.

That lack of support is taking its toll. Over a quarter of all lost working days in the NHS recorded under stress, anxiety and other mental health illnesses [i] and 500,000 working days in local councils being lost a year to mental health problems [ii] .

And the worryingly high staffing shortages show no signs of improving either, with 1 in 7 (15%) full time equivalent NHS mental health positions remaining unfilled [i] – nearly double the overall NHS workforce vacancy rate of 8.9% [iii].

Discussing pressures of the job, a trainee mental health social worker, stated:

“The best thing the government could do to help service users is to help us, the professionals. We are struggling; how can we be expected to help others when our own mental health is so often disregarded?”

Our three-point-plan for better mental health services

We have set out three key areas of focus to bring better results for people living with mental health needs and practitioners alike:

1.     Grow the workforce: with more people, and more resources. Filling existing vacancies and growing in numbers. Our recommendations include re-assessing the financial support available for students, creating a national recruitment campaign that challenges misconceptions about the sector, and improving pay and working conditions.

2.    Invest in the workforce: looking after the people we already have, supporting them to lead long and fulfilling careers. Appropriate pay, access to training, ways of working and better technology and systems, all have a part to play.

3.    Connect the workforce: enabling practitioners to provide more holistic support to people, addressing their social as well as mental and physical health needs. Improving for example referral pathways and communication between primary and secondary care, and health and specialist services such as addiction, housing and domestic abuse teams.

Building a thriving workforce fit for the future

We hope an incoming government that is serious about improving the wellbeing of the country will understand the importance of the mental health workforce: a workforce that is so integral to our wellbeing and our lives.

We need growth, investment and connection to build a thriving workforce fit for the future.

We look forward to working with the government and our partners to deliver meaningful change for people living with mental health and the people working so hard to support them.

References

[i] NHS Sickness Absence Rates, June 2023, NHS Digital (accessible here)

[ii] Community Care article September 2023

[ii] NHS Digital, NHS Vacancy Statistics England, June 2023 (accessible here)