When people think about political party conferences, they often think about big political speeches, policy announcements (and promises) and endless media coverage. Of course, those things happen, and again this year we have seen this play out across all of the political parties. But for me, it’s an opportunity beyond politics.
This year, I took the early Sunday morning train to Liverpool, to join the Labour Conference. Now, I always find it a strange atmosphere that takes adjustment, from walking through the city I was a student in (and remembering the pubs I’ve had a good night out in), through various demonstrations at the gates to the conference, and into the goldfish bowl of the ‘secure zone’.
I’m not here to sit through the main stage speeches, I’m here because it provides a rare opportunity for organisations, leaders, practitioners and policymakers from across the mental health sector to come together, connect and have honest conversations about the challenges we face and the changes we want to see, with the occasional opportunity to talk to those who make decisions (more on that later).
Supporting young people
This year, one of the strongest themes coming through the conference was young people.
It came through in the speeches, including the important and welcomed commitment from the Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, that young people should face “no long waits anymore for mental health support”. It also came through even more so in the fringe events, roundtables and conversations taking place around them. There was a particular focus on the one million young people currently not in education, employment or training (NEETs), and the complex relationship between mental health and opportunity.
Poor mental health can make it harder for young people to access and remain in education, training and employment. At the same time, being excluded from those opportunities can have a profound impact on mental health and wellbeing. It is a cycle that many people across the sector are determined to break.
Early intervention
I was fortunate to take part in a couple of roundtable discussions on this issue, and several themes emerged. The importance of earlier intervention. The need to learn from models that are working elsewhere. And perhaps most importantly, the need for organisations across the mental health sector to work together, differently and across boundaries to meet the needs of young people.
This was particularly evident at a roundtable that BACP hosted at Labour conference where we brought together counselling providers with leaders from Youth and Employment Support, Education, Mental Health Organisations, and lived experience speakers to explore place-based solutions for young people disengaged from employment and education. This was chaired by our Vice President Baroness Berger and provided an important opportunity to promote the vital work that counsellors are doing to support young people in community and education settings. It was particularly pleasing to showcase the work of BACP accredited service, Young Person’s Advisory Service, who undertake lifechanging work with disadvantaged Young People across Merseyside.
This reaffirmed to me that the challenges facing young people do not sit neatly within organisational boundaries or Government departments. If we want to make meaningful progress, we need to be more willing to come together around shared outcomes, rather than with individual agendas.
That spirit of collaboration was one of the most encouraging things I experienced throughout the conference.
New Mental Health Strategy
I also had the opportunity to briefly speak with the Minister of State for Mental Health, Ally McGovern, after hearing her speak on several occasions during the week. Her commitment to publishing a new Mental Health Strategy before Christmas is an important step forward. I took the opportunity to make a simple point: there is already a skilled, qualified and experienced counselling and psychotherapy workforce across the country, and the capacity within that workforce to support more people. As the professional body representing over 75,000 counselling and psychotherapy professionals, we want to bring that resource, alongside the expertise and insight of our members, into both the development of the strategy and, importantly, its delivery.
What particularly stayed with me was her recognition that no strategy will ever be perfect. The challenge is not to wait for perfection, but to produce something good enough to move us forward. I think that is a very pragmatic place to be and (hopefully) opens the door to help the Minister shape the strategy, and funding for more therapy sessions.
Working together to make progress
I left Liverpool feeling tired and hopeful because there seems to be a growing recognition that mental health deserves the same attention, ambition and seriousness as physical health. And because there is a willingness, across government and the wider sector, to work together to make progress.
Change will not happen overnight. But if we can keep our focus on the people we are here to serve and avoid letting perfection get in the way of progress, I believe there is a genuine opportunity to make a meaningful difference to the mental health of the nation.
