18 June 2004
Government plans to end the exclusion of people with mental health problems from opportunities in employment, education and housing should become a 'watershed', a leading charity said this week.
A report from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's Social Exclusion Unit, published on June 14, outlined a holistic approach to helping people with mental illness; one that did not focus solely on their medical needs.
The report's proposals include reallocating the government's £140m funding for vocational and day services to promote employment opportunities and greater social inclusion. Jobcentre Plus staff will receive better training on mental health issues. Earlier this year, the Department of Health ring-fenced £22m for local authority social services to support the capital costs associated with implementing this week's report.
'This report must become a watershed in our history,' said Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health acting chief executive Angela Greatley. 'A lot can be achieved if government departments, public services, the voluntary sector, businesses, service users and user-led organisations work together in an equal partnership to tackle discrimination.'
Social exclusion minister Lord Rooker said people with mental illness did not receive sufficient support to participate fully in society, even though one in six adults suffer from common mental health problems at any time.
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