Causeway mental health teams ‘ideally positioned’ for shift to neighbourhood care model

Community mental health teams across the Causeway Coast and Glens are being positioned at the centre of a major shift in how care is delivered, with health officials signalling they are ready to align with a new model designed to bring services closer to people’s homes.

Members of the Causeway Hospital Partnership Board heard this week that existing community-based services are already well placed to support the Department of Health’s Neighbourhood Model of Health and Wellbeing - a key strand of the wider Health and Social Care Reset Plan launched in March.

The model aims to move care away from hospitals and into local communities, focusing on earlier intervention, stronger local partnerships and support delivered in people’s own homes wherever possible.

Early intervention focus at the heart of plans

Dr Petra Corr, Director of Mental Health, Learning Disability and Psychological Services with the Northern Health and Social Care Trust, told the Board that the region’s community mental health teams are already deeply embedded within local networks, working closely with GPs, voluntary organisations and wider community partners.

“Our community mental health teams are the backbone of our service,” she said, outlining how early intervention and community-based support can reduce the need for more intensive treatment later.

She added that strengthening these local partnerships will be critical as the new model develops, with a focus on pooling resources and delivering more integrated care for the local population.

The approach reflects a growing emphasis across Health and Social Care on preventing deterioration in mental health through earlier, coordinated support, rather than relying on hospital-based interventions.

Support for carers under review

Alongside the shift towards neighbourhood care, the Board was told the Trust is also reviewing how it supports carers - particularly those looking after loved ones with mental health conditions, including dementia.

The aim is to ensure carers themselves do not become isolated or experience declining health as a result of their responsibilities, recognising the pressures often placed on families supporting people at home.

Partnership board driving long-term vision

The Causeway Hospital Partnership Board, established in September 2024, brings together Trust staff with representatives from community organisations, the voluntary sector, service users, local council and community transport providers.

Its role is to help drive forward the Northern Trust’s Vision for Causeway Hospital, with a particular focus on strengthening links between hospital services and the wider community.

Dr Corr indicated that financial pressures across Health and Social Care are also shaping how services are evolving, with a need to rethink how care is delivered using existing resources.

In outlining that challenge, she described the importance of avoiding duplication and instead identifying gaps in provision across the system, working collectively with community partners to address unmet need.

Progress reported as hospital milestone approaches

It has now been just over two years since the Northern Trust published its Vision for Causeway Hospital, setting out ambitions for the site’s future role within the region’s healthcare system.

Kathy Mackenzie, Non-Executive Director with the Trust and co-chair of the Partnership Board, said “significant progress” has been made against those ambitions, with work ongoing to ensure the vision translates into tangible improvements.

She said an updated Vision document will be published next month, coinciding with the hospital’s 25th anniversary, detailing progress to date and reaffirming long-term commitments to the facility.

The update is expected to set out how the hospital will continue to evolve alongside community-based services, as the wider shift towards neighbourhood care gathers pace across Northern Ireland.

As planning continues, the emphasis remains firmly on delivering care closer to home, strengthening local partnerships and ensuring services are better connected to the communities they serve.

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At a glance

• Community mental health teams in Causeway Coast and Glens are being aligned with a new neighbourhood care model

• The model aims to deliver care closer to home as part of the Health and Social Care Reset Plan

• Health officials say local teams are already well connected with GPs and community partners

• Early intervention is a key focus to reduce the need for hospital-based care

• Support for carers, including those dealing with dementia, is under review

• The Causeway Hospital Partnership Board was set up in September 2024

• The Northern Trust reports “significant progress” on its Vision for Causeway Hospital

• An updated vision document will be published next month for the hospital’s 25th anniversary