Barnet (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Barnet Council is under pressure to save two key mental health services from closure as campaigners warn of the impact on vulnerable residents.
Rephael House, a charity in North Finchley that collaborates with the council to offer counseling to children and youth, has seen a rent increase of up to £10,000.
Backdated by one year, the charity’s annual payment has increased from £20,000 to between £25,000 and £35,000.
The decision to shut down The Network agency, another mental health needs agency, was also agreed by the council’s cabinet last month.
The council stated that the decision was made due to a “decline in usage,” “the availability of alternative services to meet the same needs,” and the council’s “financial position.”
132 persons participated in the May–July consultation on the closure. These included eight relatives and family members, twenty-two residents, fifty-nine professionals, and forty-three past and present users of The Network Service.
Overall, 73% of all groups were against the closure.
Seventy percent of current and former customers were against the initiative, and all eight friends and family members were against it. 74% of the professionals and 64% of the population opposed closure.
Speaking before the cabinet decision, Barnet Unison’s branch secretary John Burgess said:
“Closing The Network is a false economy, it costs very little but saves the NHS and the council huge sums by keeping people well, in work, and out of crisis.
The consultation shows residents, carers, and professionals overwhelmingly oppose closure. Labour nationally is committed to expanding mental health support. Why would a Labour council do the opposite?”
“Unresolved talks” between the borough’s mental health social workers, represented by Unison, over “staffing levels and rates of turnover” were also raised by Barnet Green Party, although strike action is currently suspended following an 81-day walkout in 2024.
Charli Thompson, a Barnet Green Party spokesperson, said:
“Barnet says it values mental health, but its actions tell a different story. You can’t hand out awards to community services like Rephael House, while at the same time charging them commercial rents when they are struggling to survive.
You can’t claim to be protecting residents while closing The Network or letting social work teams collapse from exhaustion. This is a systemic failure to put our communities’ needs first.”
In response, a council spokesperson said:
“Through our mental health charter and mental health and wellbeing charter co-designed with children and young people we are committed to a public health approach to supporting residents living with mental health issues.
Our approach tackles inequalities, prioritises prevention across the whole population, addresses emerging risks, and outlines a proactive roadmap for fostering resilience across all sectors of our borough — from mental health services and schools to housing, community and faith organisations.
We welcome all constructive input from service users on the support services the council and its partners provide.”
What evidence shows the services’ impact on preventing hospital admissions?
Evidence supporting the effectiveness of Barnet’s mental health services – specifically the Network in preventing hospital admissions is derived from wider research evidence that supports community-based interventions. Research indicates that timely and accessible community-based mental health support (e.g. therapeutic activities, crisis teams, and social activities) leads to lowered risk of acute mental health crises leading to emergency hospital admissions.
Systematic reviews and related research evidence also indicates that early health conditions, through proactive rapid response nursing, mental health crisis teams and integrated care models, significantly reduce unplanned admissions and length of stays in hospital settings.
Evidence which clearly indicates that social interventions, well-being workshops, therapeutic support, and crisis interventions provided via the Network follow best practice, which is known to lower hospitalization.
