Fife councillors push for funding for mental health project

Fife councillors are to write to NHS Fife to seek funding for the mental health service ‘Positive You!’

The decision was taken at today’s meeting of Glenrothes area committee.

‘Positive You!’ is a council-run service which offers private and confidential guidance and support appointments to members of the public in the area to tackle mental health issues.

However, lockdown meant that it had to be put on hold to deal with the healthcare demands of the pandemic.

JP Easton, community development team manager, told the committee that mental health issues are going to increase in the coming months as a result of Covid-19 – and more money was urgently needed.

He said: “All our partners have been saying that mental health is such an issue, and we do have a very good model to do something about that. I’m recognising that there will be more of a demand than ever.”

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The project initially began in GP surgeries and health centres, but it has expanded to three health centres with a minimum of 160 people now using it.

Hannah Grubb, link worker and adult learning tutor for Fife Council, is currently running the service, but the local authority is looking to expand its team to deal with the increasing demand.

In 2019/2020 the service cost £16,000. That has since risen to £41,000.

Last year, the project was partially funded by Fife Housing Group, but the same support has not been secured this year.

Mr Easton noted that he hopes NHS Fife will contribute to the costs so that it can offer more resources such as classes and self-esteem groups to provide a “more responsive” service to members of the public.

Cllr Altany Craik asked that Cllr Fiona Grant, committee convener, writes to the health board to seek funding.

He Craik said: “I think NHS Fife has maybe just not been asked in the right way and, as an area committee , we should express that formally through the chair in writing to them. At least that way we can start the dialogue- maybe we are asking the wrong people with the wrong purses.”

All councillors agreed to the proposal, and Cllr Grant will write to the health board in due course.

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