MORE work is needed to provide Somerset men with mental health support, the county council has said.

The Somerset Mental Well-being Service (SMWS) has been operating since January 2018, and provides support to people dealing with mental health problems alongside existing clinical support within the NHS.

Tim Baverstock, the council’s strategic commissioning manager for adults and health, said that the service had helped more than 200 people since its inception and that positive feedback had been received.

However, he said that there was an issue with men failing to engage with the service and “dropping out”, stating that more should be done to reach out to men across the county.

Mr Baverstock gave a report on the service at a meeting of the council’s adults and health scrutiny committee meeting, which took place in Taunton on Wednesday morning (June 6).

He said: “It is early days, but we have had some positive impact so far.

“People are reporting that they found accessing the service easy, with a timely response, and they are pleasantly surprised that access to the service is not diagnosis-dependent, but is instead about what they want to achieve and the support that they need to do so.”

Between the official launch of SMWS in January and the end of May, 257 people have contacted the service.

Of these, 202 people have gone on to receive support, with a 40/60 split between men and women.

Councillor Bill Revans raised concerns about this figure, stating: “It is well known that there is an increase in suicide among young men, and I wonder what plan is in place to address that.”

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Mr Baverstock said in his report that men were more likely to experience mental health problems than women, but that research had shown that women were more likely to see diagnosis and support to deal with it.

He added that men made up a large proportion of the drop-off rate (people who sought support and then did not follow through with help offered), stating they would not always engage with the service.

He said: “We are working with Mind, Compass Disability Services and Chard Watch CIC about how we can engage people better and see if there is anything we can do to reach out.

“We need to reach more men wherever we can.”

Mr Baverstock also praised the work of men’s sheds – not-for-profit organisations which provide advice and support for men, often through shared physical activities.

There are men’s sheds currently operating in Bridgwater, Burnham-on-Sea, Clevedon, Farrington Gurney,  Frome, Shepton Mallet, South Petherton, Street, Taunton, Wincanton and Yeovil.

Steering groups are currently working to set up similar sheds in Bath, Chard, Wedmore and Wells.

Of the people currently accessing SMWS, 75 per cent were people who were not in employment or education.

Demand for the service was consistent across most of the county – although the number of people referring themselves from Mendip was 25 per cent lower than in the other four districts or boroughs.

Just under half (49 per cent) of those using the service were between 40 and 64 years old, with 32 per cent being 18 to 39 years old and 12 per cent being 65 or over (seven per cent did not provide their age).

Mr Baverstock said that the £400,000 being spent on the service was “not a significant number” in the context of wider mental health spend, and could reduce people receiving intensive support.

Councillor Christine Lawrence agreed, stating: “This is not necessarily going to save money, but the money will be used differently and enable us to help more people earlier. One in four of us will have a mental health problem at some point in our lives.”

To find out more about the Somerset Mental Well-being Service, or to arrange a conversation with a member of its support team, visit the service's website here.

To find your local men’s shed, visit the organisation's website here.