Shortfall of mental health officers hits record level

THE shortfall in the number of mental health officers working in Scotland’s councils reached its highest level last year, according to a new report.

It found that an additional 40 full-time officers would be needed to fully address the gap in staffing levels.

Mental health officers (MHOs) are qualified social workers who have completed mental health training courses.

The Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) report found that the number of whole-time equivalent (WTE) officers increased by two per cent to 670 in December 2015.

However, the overall shortfall is the highest since 2008, when data was first collected. The number of WTE officers had fallen from 698 in 2012 to 657 in 2014, before recovering slightly in 2015 to 670.

But the survey of local authorities also revealed that 21 councils had a shortfall in their mental health officer staffing levels – the same number as in 2014, and up from14councilsin2012.

The total additional hours per week required to address shortfalls has increased by around a third from 2014 to around 1,550 hours a week in 2015.

More than 40 extra fulltime exclusive officers would be required across Scotland to fully address this reported shortfall, the report found.

A total of 53 officers left the workforce between December 1 2014 and December 7 2015, a reduction of 15 per cent over the previous year.

Anna Fowlie, SSSC chief executive said: “Although the overall number of MHOs has gone up, this report shows the challenges facing local authorities as the data from the 21 authorities that answered the shortfall question shows the overall shortfall is at its highest since this data was first collected in 2008.”

Scottish Liberal Democrat health spokesman Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP said: “These figures show the desperate investment that mental health needs. We need to see more mental health officers per 100,000, not less. We need to make sure that there are more specialists, not see them reduced further.

“We have seen a complete lack of beds north of Dundee where people needing urgent help are having to travel hundreds of miles.” RACHEL ROSS presents some silverware to a prize-winning threeday-old chick as a museum gears up for a celebration of the countryside.

The eight-year-old, from East Kilbride, was at the National Museum of Rural Life in the Lanarkshire town as it prepares for Sunday’s Country Fair. Ferret racing and demonstrations of traditional country skills and for the first time, pig racing, are just part of the entertainment line-up. The event will also include the Border Collies and Indian Runner Ducks of the Dog and Duck Show.