2021 Resources and Reports

 

Tip of the iceberg? Deaths and serious harm in the benefits system

This report looks at key areas of the benefits process that can cause severe distress for people. The DWP has been found to negatively impact people’s wellbeing, causing severe anxiety and distress, creating financial hardship, worsening existing mental health conditions and in very tragic cases led to death. Our Stop Benefit Deaths campaign is calling for a full public inquiry and a new body to investigate future cases (July 2021).

Mental Health Act White Paper engagement report: Service users with experience of using the Mental Health Act

This report engaged people previously detained under the Act to share their perspectives with the Department of Health and Social Care and inform the government's response to the White Paper. The Mental Health Act White Paper is a crucial step along the road to reform of the Mental Health Act 1983, and enhanced rights to choice and involvement for people detained under the Act. (May 2021)

Mental Health Act White Paper engagement report: Service users currently detained under the Mental Health Act

This is a second engagement report, which engaged people currently detained under the Act to share their perspectives with the Department of Health and Social Care and inform the government's response to the Mental Health Act White Paper. (May 2021)

Thinking differently: A ‘first steps’ guide for transforming community mental health 

Rethink Mental Illness’ guide is designed to support STPs/ICSs to take the first steps needed to transform community mental health care. These have been based on lessons from pilot sites and other pioneering work taking place across England. One example is in Somerset, where we are leading a voluntary sector alliance and working closely with Somerset STP to deliver a new model of care (April 2021).

Keep thinking differently

Rethink Mental Illness’s second guide for STPs/ICSs to continue their journey of community mental health transformation. This accompanies our first guide, Thinking differently, and together they are a comprehensive resource to support your radical redesign of community mental health services (April 2021).

Mental Health Act White Paper - Rethink Mental Illness' response

In April 2021, Rethink Mental Illness responded to the government's White Paper on the Mental Health Act. The charity has been campaigning for many years to reform of the Act. Our response to the consultation focuses on questions which deal with enhancing the involvement of people detained under the Mental Health Act in their own care, improving the choices they can make, and preventing people from detained under the Mental Health Act in the first place (April 2021).