Waltham Forest Council has approved a new agreement with North East London Foundation Trust (NELFT) to provide integrated mental health services for residents.

The decision, made at a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, 4 November 2025, will see the council enter into a Section 75 agreement1 with NELFT for a period of five years, commencing 1 February 2026, with annual break options. 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. The council has delegated authority to the Strategic Director of Adult Services, in consultation with the Portfolio Lead Member for Health and Adults and the Strategic Director of Resources, to approve the final terms of the agreement.

Councillor Louise Mitchell, Portfolio Lead Member for Adults and Health, introduced the report, highlighting the strong shared commitment to the partnership and the importance of multi-disciplinary collaboration. She noted that professionals are exploring ways to strengthen governance and accountability.

The agreement builds upon 15 years of joint working between Waltham Forest and NELFT, incorporating improvements identified in a recent review. Key recommendations from the review to support improved joint working and outcomes for residents, include:

  • Conducting a collaborative review of the mental health early intervention and prevention offer to inform future commissioning intentions and deliver improved outcomes for residents.
  • Introducing a new service priority for carers of those with mental health needs.
  • Strengthening governance arrangements, accountability and visibility across both NELFT and LBWF to ensure a truly integrated and holistic service offer for residents which can, best support demand for statutory services.
  • Committing to improving IT interoperability to prevent duplication and streamline processes.
  • Strengthening and streamlining operational processes and practice opportunities wherever possible.
  • Committing to continuing to embed strengths-based practice to ensure individuals with mental health needs can maintain and maximize their health, wellbeing and independence.

These improvements aim to strengthen outcomes for residents and align with the NHS 10 Year Health Plan for England and Mission Waltham Forest. Key areas for development include:

  • Clarifying roles and responsibilities within mental health teams.
  • Mapping out mental health pathways.
  • Strengthening links with primary care and crisis provision.
  • Measuring person-centred outcomes, incorporating the Open Dialogue Model. The report states that the Open Dialogue Model will be incorporated as a way of Establishing and agreeing ways to measure person centred outcomes, moving beyond quantitative data . The model focuses on building supportive relationships that enable people to stay well within their communities, underpinned by strengths-based practice. It centres the person, their family, and wider social network as active agents in their care.
  • Defining and measuring 'Good' within the partnership. The report mentions establishing and agreeing ways to measure person-centred outcomes, moving beyond quantitative data, for example, incorporating the Open Dialogue Model. It also mentions agreeing the partnership definition of what 'Good' looks like and how to achieve and measure the 'Good'. However, specific KPIs are not listed in the provided information.
  • Developing new integrated services to improve wellbeing.
  • Reviewing the mental health early intervention and prevention offer.
  • Introducing a new service priority for carers.
  • Enhancing governance, accountability, and visibility.
  • Improving IT interoperability.
  • Streamlining operational processes.

The secondment of the council's adult social care mental health staff will remain a core component of the agreement. The Local Authority also has a legal duty to provide an Approved Mental Health Professional (AMHP) service. The AMHP service is responsible for coordinating and carrying out mental health assessments for Waltham Forest residents who may need to be detained under the Mental Health Act. This duty is also delivered through the s.75.

The cabinet considered three options:

  1. Continuing with the existing agreement model without changes.
  2. Ending the Section 75 Partnership and returning to separate delivery models.
  3. Refreshing and recommitting to the Section 75 Partnership Agreement.

The report recommended the third option, which was approved. This option offers the strongest benefits, building on the existing strengths of integrated working and enabling a holistic approach for residents.

Councillor Grace Williams, Leader of the Council, highlighted the importance of the proposals in addressing the needs of those struggling with mental health issues. She thanked Councillor Mitchell for her leadership and the team for their hard work.

  1. Section 75 of the National Health Service Act 2006 allows NHS bodies and local authorities to pool resources and delegate functions to deliver more integrated services. ↩