Now that the website has been revamped we’re going to try to put up a weekly blog post – just something simple to bring together anything new that’s been brought to our attention.

If you come across anything that you think would be beneficial to share with the AMHPs in the region, please send it to us. The best way to do this currently is through the ‘Contact us’ page on the website using the link above. It doesn’t have to be specifically something that has happened in the last week – just anything you think is worth sharing. It could be a news item, published article, book, TV or radio programme, blog post, event, press release – whatever seems of relevance to AMHPs.

The website itself is the biggest thing that’s happened internally in AMHPA. We’ve taken the plunge in doing it ourselves – in the hope that a WordPress-based site is as robust and easy to maintain as it appears. We would welcome any suggestions as to how to improve the site and look forward to seeing what evolves as more people become involved and we implement the incremental changes.

If you are an AMHP working in the North West of England or North Wales, please do register to the forum, introduce yourself and join in with the conversations. It has only just opened and therefore very quiet – we’d love to get some lively and serious discussions going in relation to AMHP practice.

The other AMHPA news is that we have our next conference event in Chorley on Friday and we’ll post a write-up next week. We’d very much like to get more feedback from members about the conferences and suggestions for future events.

As for the wider world of mental health law, the biggest news recently must surely be the opening of the Law Commission consultation on the ‘protective care’ framework, intended to replace the Deprivation of Liberty safeguards and related procedures.

You can download the consultation paper directly from the Law Commission

There is a useful summary by Tim Spencer-Lane from the Law Commission in this month’s Health, Welfare and Deprivation of Liberty Newsletter from 39 Essex Chambers.

Alex Ruck-Keene posted today about the case of Secretary of State for Justice v KC and C Partnership NHS Foundation Trust [2015] on his ever-informative Mental Capacity Law and Policy website. The judgement clarifies the position in relation to Conditional Discharge and the use of DoLS to authorise a deprivation of liberty.

A handful of news items have also been brought to our attention.

Community Care has an article on Social Worker burnout following research in partnership with Queen’s University Belfast.

Also in Community Care, an item on the College of Social Work report on the impact of Cheshire West on AMHP practice. The author of the report, Emad Lilo (who sits on the board of AMHPA), will be presenting his report at this week’s AMHPA event in Chorley.

The Manchester Evening News had an article on the 13th July on the fall in mental health beds in the city whilst the demand increases.

The BBC has articles today on the Royal College of Psychiatrists’ report attributing bed shortages on ‘delayed discharge and poor community provision’ and the increasing number of patients being admitted to out-of-area inpatient beds

Looking ahead to next week, Thinking Allowed – Laurie Taylor’s social research programme on Radio 4 – has an item on Mental Health professionals on 22nd July.

We hope that you will share with us anything you find useful – it would be great if AMHPA could collectively produce a continuing resource that is of benefit and value.

Thanks this week to Briony Spedding and Mark Cooper for sharing links.