National Programme Support Activities

Communications

The National Programme has an important role to play in communicating its vision and the work of its sponsored projects to Scotland's population and beyond. Audiences for our messages include health and other allied professionals, service users and carers as well as the general public.

This website, along with Well? magazine, are two aspects of that commitment. We also work closely with other departments, our partners, sponsored projects and the media industry to help make sure that messages concerning Scotland's mental health and wellbeing are clear and consistent.

Read our Communications Strategy to find out more.

National Programme Communications Strategy:

Section 26 of the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003

In 2003, the Scottish Parliament passed a new Mental Health Care and Treatment Act. Sections 25-31 of the Act focus on care and rehabilitation and are mainly the responsibility of the Local Authorities, although Section 31 does allocate a duty to assist with this work to Health Boards if a request is made to them.

The purpose of this section of the Act is to promote recovery and the opportunity to live as normal a life as possible thus promoting social inclusion for people who have or have had a mental disorder in Scotland.

Services designed to promote wellbeing or social development

A local authority shall provide or commission services designed to promote wellbeing and social development for anyone who has or has had a mental illness, learning disability or personality disorder.

These services shall include amongst others:

Social, cultural and recreational activity
Training
Assistance in obtaining and undertaking employment

Section 27 states that where necessary the local authority ensures that people can travel to receive these services

Whilst nothing in the Act states that these services shall be provided by mainstream services, although it does place the duty on the whole local authority not the social work service, it is recognised that recovery is enhanced by people being able to make a contribution or have a valued role and that they deserve the best provision possible. So it is generally agreed that the services should, whenever possible, be delivered by mainstream providers with the necessary expertise in their field, supported, as appropriate, by people with expertise in mental disorder.

The Scottish Government has been encouraging local authorities and their partners to embrace these sections of the Act by providing training and networking opportunities.

This work is also supported by a guidance document for local authorities and their planning partners, entitled Inclusion in Mind, which is will be available to download from our publications section this Autumn.

To find out more on the Section 26 Advisory Group’s work visit the Section 26 website or email Linda Reid at
linda.reid @scotland.gsi.gov.uk