The South Ayrshire Adult Community Mental Health Strategy 2017-2022 was launched at the Citadel in Ayr by Stewart Donnelly, Employee Director for Ayrshire and Arran NHS Board and Chair of South Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership Integration Joint Board.
The strategy's main focus is on offering support which is designed and delivered in ways that: Offers flexible, tailored, and coordinated support to those receiving services Prevents escalation of need and supports people to remain at home Promotes recovery, well-being, and self-management Minimises the potential for social stigma associated with mental health issues Offers choice in the way that services are managed and control by those who receive them Is safe, and ensures the safety of vulnerable members of society Addresses carers' needs Launching the strategy, Stewart Donnelly, said: "The strategy has been developed with involvement from staff, carers, service-users and the third and voluntary sectors. Our priority is to ensure we provide effective support for people to maintain and recover good mental health in ways that take account of their personal circumstances. "Through engagement, we have identified what we were doing well and what needed to be improved. This strategy sets out how we will achieve our shared goals into the future." More than 50 people attended the event, including service-users, and representatives from the independent and third sector providers. National organisations such as See Me and Choose Life also attended, with See Me launching their anti-stigma' Pass the Badge' campaign in South Ayrshire.