Waltham Forest Council is set to extend its contract with North East London Foundation Trust (NELFT) for integrated mental health services, ensuring continued support for residents with mental health needs.
The Health and Adult Social Care Scrutiny Committee reviewed the proposal to enter into a new Section 75 agreement with NELFT, a decision under consideration at cabinet on 4 November. The current 2025-26 value of the council services seconded as part of this mental health Section 75 agreement is £1,734,600. This covers the allocated budget for the seconded social care staff, associated running costs and the management recharge to NELFT. This figure will be amended each year to reflect agreed changes in budgets including pay awards and changes in staffing structures. The current staffing forecast for 2025/26 indicates a projected underspend of approximately £20,000.
The agreement aims to support the delivery of integrated services for residents with mental health needs who meet the eligibility criteria under the Care Act 2014, continuing the partnership with NELFT as the current delivery provider. The current agreement is due to expire on 31 January 2026, and the new agreement is proposed to commence from 1 February 2026 for a fixed term of five years, incorporating annual break options.
The committee reviewed a report that detailed the proposed agreement, which builds on a 15-year partnership between Waltham Forest and NELFT. The report highlighted key areas for improvement and development, including:
- Clarifying roles and responsibilities within the wider mental health teams.
- Mapping out mental health pathways.
- Strengthening links with the primary care offer and crisis provision in practice.
- Establishing and agreeing ways to measure person-centred outcomes, moving beyond quantitative data for example incorporating the Open Dialogue Model.
- Agreeing the partnership definition of what 'Good' looks like and how to achieve and measure the 'Good'.
- Acknowledging that new integrated services are critical to building care holistically around the needs of the person, to improve their outcomes and support them to achieve wellbeing.
The service provided under the Section 75 Agreement will be fully accessible to individuals who may not traditionally present to mainstream services, for example:
- Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual and Transgender (LGBT);
- Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic and Refugee (BAMER) communities.
- Homeless/rough sleepers
- Individuals with substance misuse and/or mental health issues and;
- Those who are supported within the protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010
- Individuals who do not have English as a first language.
The Provider will ensure that the Service is accessible to all Service Users and where necessary, provide additional services, such as translation and interpreting for case work purposes, to ensure access to the Service.
The report also noted that the local authority has a legal duty to provide an Approved Mental Health Professional (AMHP) service, responsible for coordinating and carrying out mental health assessments for residents who may need to be detained under the Mental Health Act. This duty is also delivered through the s.75. The team currently comprises 24.50 full-time equivalent (FTE) posts, with staff issued council contracts of employment and subject to the council's terms and conditions. The council retains decision-making authority regarding staff employment.
Integration of health and social care services will require service user information to be shared across organisations. The integrated community mental health team will continue to use Rio as their primary client record, with all staff expected to adhere to the information governance policy that has been incorporated into the proposed Section 75 Partnership Agreement MH.
The new agreement will continue to be governed by the Operational and Executive Steering Groups. The Operational Group meets monthly and considers performance, guidance and other operational issues. The Operational Group reports to the Executive Steering Group, which is made up of senior leaders, where strategic and wider organisational issues are considered. Reports will be submitted to scrutiny when required.
The renewed agreement will promote the continued delivery of high-quality, integrated community mental health services, underpinned by strengths-based practice and will embrace a transformational approach to meeting clients assessed needs.
The Public reports pack includes the Section 75 Partnership Agreement MH and the S75 Consultation Appendix 2.