NFCC adopt the Prevention Concordat for Better Mental Health

The announcement was made to Fire and Rescue Services at NFCC’s Prevention and Protection Conference on 26th November.

NFCC’s Prevention Committee will, through the mental health board, disseminate further information about the Prevention Concordat and how to get involved, to all Fire and Rescue Services

Mark Matthews, mental health lead for NFCC, commented: “I am delighted to see the NFCC and individual Fire & Rescue Services confirm their ongoing commitment to working with partners to promote good mental health through a prevention focused approach.

"Members of our communities suffering from poor mental health are often at greater risk of coming to harm and therefore require prevention related assistance. Those Services signing up to principles of the Concordat are sending a clear message that effective prevention can only be secured through a collaborative approach ensuring wherever possible 'every contact counts."

The Prevention Concordat for Better Mental Health is underpinned by an understanding that taking a prevention focused approach to improving the public’s mental health is shown to make a valuable contribution to achieving a fairer and more equitable society. 

The Concordat promotes evidence based planning and commissioning to increase impact on reducing health inequalities.  The sustainability and cost effectiveness of this approach will be enhanced by the inclusion of action that impacts on the wider determinants of mental health and wellbeing.

Consensus statement

By signing the Prevention Concordat, organisations declare endorsement of the consensus statement and their shared commitment to support local and national action to prevent mental health problems and promote good mental health.

•  To transform the health system, we must increase the focus on prevention and the wider determinants of mental health. We recognise the need for a shift towards prevention-focused leadership and action throughout the mental health system; and into the wider system. In turn this will impact positively on the NHS and social care system by enabling early help through the use of upstream interventions
• There must be joint cross-sectoral action to deliver an increased focus on the prevention of mental health problems and the promotion of good mental health at local level. This should draw on the expertise of people with lived experience of mental health problems, and the wider community, to identify solutions.
• We will promote a prevention-focused approach towards improving the public’s mental health, as all our organisations have a role to play.
• We will work collaboratively across organisational boundaries and disciplines to secure place-based improvements that are tailored to local needs and assets, in turn increasing sustainability and the effective use of limited resources.
• We will build the capacity and capability across our workforce to prevent mental health problems and promote good mental health, as outlined in the Public Mental Health Leadership and Workforce Development Framework Call to Action.
• We believe local areas will benefit from adopting the Prevention Concordat for Better Mental Health.
• We are committed to supporting local authorities, policy makers, NHS clinical commissioning groups and other commissioners, service providers, employers and the voluntary and community sector to adopt this Concordat and its approach.

The following Fire and Rescue Service have so far joined NFCC in signing up to the principles of the concordat

• East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service
• Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service
• Humberside Fire and Rescue Service
• Kent Fire and Rescue Service
• Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service
• London Fire Brigade
• Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service
• Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service
• Manchester Fire and Rescue Service