Scotland’s social services regulator – the Scottish Social Service Council (SSSC) – says despite recent improvements, there are still too few social workers who take on the specialist role of being mental health officers (MHOs) to meet the hours needed.

In its most recent report, the SSSC reveals that those in the MHO role are providing more hours of support for people in need than at any time over the last six years.

MHOs have statutory powers under the Mental Health Act to support the care and treatment of people struggling with ill mental health in Scotland, collaborating closely with other mental health professionals.

As social workers, MHOs responsibilities include care planning, assessing mental health need and whether compulsory intervention may be required as well as ensuring the rights and welfare of individuals is protected. Two thirds of MHOs are now working as part of dedicated mental health teams.

In its eleventh Mental Health Officers Report tracking the changing landscape of mental health support, the SSSC reports that in 2022 over 30 ‘exclusive’ MHO posts were vacant.

Many mental health officers also undertake other social work duties outside the MHO role, but this report reveals that overall Scotland’s MHOs spent more time working on mental health duties than any other year since 2016.

The SSSC report shows an increase in the number of MHO posts filled in 2022 compared with the year before, with a mix of those working only as MHOs, and staff mixing MHO duties with other social work tasks. For both groups saw a 7% increase in the average weekly hours worked compared to the previous year.

SSSC Acting Chief Executive, Maree Allison said:

“It’s encouraging to see that the shortfall in the number of MHO hours has decreased. However, our data shows that there is still a significant shortfall of over 2,600 hours each week.

“This report, produced by our Workforce Intelligence Team by analysing data collected directly from local authorities, will help the Scottish government, local authorities and others in future workforce planning, including succession planning requirements.”

This comes as professionals from across Scotland’s health and care sectors have called for a ‘re-focusing and re-prioritisation’ of mental health and social care services.

Co-hosting an event this week, the Chair of the Mental Welfare Commission said such change requires more than ambition and good intention, adding: “the public needs tangible reforms”.

Julie Paterson, chief executive, Mental Welfare Commission, said:

“The question of mental health officers and their role was raised at our external meeting in Edinburgh this week and was put to our key speaker Maree Todd, MSP, minister for social care, mental wellbeing and sport.

“The minister said she was aware of the SSSC report and the fact that there is progress but still a shortfall in hours. She reaffirmed the government’s commitment to the MHO workforce and spoke of the importance of social workers ‘as social justice warriors.’

“At the Mental Welfare Commission, we also welcomed this improvement, and we welcomed the minister’s comments.”

Against a backdrop of more people moving into MHO roles in 2022, the SSSC also says 92 staff left MHO posts between December 2021 and December 2022.

The Mental Welfare Commission’s Julie Patterson told healthandcare.scot that the organisation has raised concerns about the lack of vital MHO involvement in specific incidents of patient care involving emergency detention:

“In our day-to-day role at the Commission, we see mental health officers as critical to the protection of people’s human rights, most particularly when a person who is very unwell requires compulsory care and treatment. Consent of a mental health officer is an important safeguard and should happen every time a person is detained using the Act.

“Every year we publish a detailed report as part of our role in monitoring the use of the Mental Health Act, including information on how often mental health officers are involved in detentions, with data broken down by health board.

“Our latest data will be published in the coming months, but in recent years we have raised our concerns over lack of mental health officer involvement - for emergency detentions. In 2021-22 and in the year prior to that, consent from an MHO had fallen below half for all such detentions, with considerable variations in different parts of Scotland. This is not acceptable; people should receive this safeguard, where practicable, no matter where they live in the country.

“We at the Mental Welfare Commission will continue to highlight the vital role played by mental health officers in supporting and protecting some of the most vulnerable people in our society.”

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