Concern over closure of mental health service

Ted Peskett, local democracy reporter

A Welsh health board’s decision to stop funding a mental health service has been called an “absolute shocker” by the head of a voluntary sector organisation.

Cardiff and Vale University Health Board’s (UHB) decision to stop funding Cardiff and Vale Action for Mental Health (CAVAMH) from April 1, 2025, will lead to the service’s closure.

The chief executive officer of Glamorgan Voluntary Services (GVS), Rachel Connor, said the end of CAVAMH will be a “great loss” and said their director still hasn’t had a proper explanation as to why funding is being removed.

Services offered by CAVAMH include providing information, training and development support to other third sector mental health groups in the area.

‘Stressful’

The Director of CAVAMH said at a Vale of Glamorgan Council voluntary sector joint liaison committee meeting on Tuesday, April 29: “We are a bit worried about the impact it’ll have… in terms of a lack of resource and we know it is a really stressful time at the moment for organisations and people with lived experience.

“The numbers of people with mental health lived experience are growing at the moment.”

Cardiff and Vale UHB said it went through a scrutiny process when reviewing its decision on CAVAMH and that as part of this, conversations took place with commissioned providers for feedback on attendance and engagement levels.

A spokesperson for the health board added that it also “reviewed whether this supported the direction of travel in networking responsibilities to take consultation to a wider audience and align co-production under the new Mental Health Strategy”.

Welsh Government

The Welsh Government recently announced changes for mental health services on April 30, including plans that will mean people won’t need a referral before going to open access services.

The 10-year strategy will be focussed on early intervention and prevention and includes plans for people to get community-based non-clinical support through a social prescribing process.

Ms Connor of GVS said at Tuesday’s voluntary sector joint liaison committee meeting: “To say that I was gobsmacked is an understatement when I heard that the health board were withdrawing funding to CAVAMH.

“It’s an absolute shocker.

“We sit around the table with the health board, local authorities on the regional partnership board and there was very little indication that anything like this was going to be taking place.

“In fact, I don’t believe that Linda [Newton] has had a full and proper explanation as to why the funding is being withdrawn apart from understandable constraints with regard to reduction in funding and challenges with funding, but it is going to be very… difficult for all of us as partners, whether we are third sector organisations or statutory partners, to actually engage as effectively with people who have lived experience of mental health.

“That is going to be a big loss for all of us and I am not quite sure how that will be managed moving forward.”

Alternative support

Ms Newton said CAVAMH, which will be able to continue running until September 2025 as things stand, is doing what it can to make sure people are signposted to alternative areas of support.

However, concern remains about the gap that will be left after it closes.

A spokesperson for Cardiff and Vale UHB said: “Funding for CAVAMH from Cardiff and Vale University Health Board reached the end of a three year contractual period on 31st March 2025.

“As part of our scrutiny process when reviewing the decision of whether to renew the contract, a number of conversations took place with commissioned providers for feedback on attendance and engagement levels.

“We also reviewed whether this supported the direction of travel in networking responsibilities to take consultation to a wider audience and align co-production under the new Mental Health Strategy.

“Conversations are taking place with other providers with networking capabilities to support with third sector involvement to implement change.

“There are a number of ways those across Cardiff and the Vale can access mental health support, including additional NHS Wales services and mental health support organisations and charities.

“Those in need of urgent mental health support can get advice and guidance via the NHS Wales call 111 and press 2 service.”