Swindon Borough Council has been reported to the Care Quality Commission over 'serious mental health failings'.

The trade union at the heart of a strike by specialist mental health social workers at the council in the summer has complained about the local authority to the government watchdog.

The GMB organiser for Wiltshire Andy Newman said: “GMB has made a formal complaint to the Care Quality Commission over failure by Swindon Borough Council to provide 24/7 cover by Approved Mental Health Practitioner social workers.  

 “We believe this is not only failing in the borough's responsibilities under the Mental Health Act but represents a significant public safety issue. 

The letter to the government’s care watchdog says: “Serious failings have come to our attention which we feel obliged to report to you in the interests of public safety. 

 “Swindon Borough Council fails to provide a 24-hour, 365 days per year Approved Mental Health Practitioner service. Currently, only two members of the Emergency Duty Service are AMHP qualified and from the beginning of December 2023, this will go down to only one. 

“When an AMHP is not on shift then no AMHP cover is provided.” 

The union says to the CQC there were several recent incidents where qualified practitioners were needed but not available, including incidents where Wiltshire Police have sought to refer individuals in custody with mental health difficulties overnight or at weekends to the Emergency Duty Service. 

The letter adds: “GMB’s assessment is that the current failure to provide 24/7 cover and the failure to pay for AHMP training are a conscious and deliberate policy, on cost grounds.” 

And the union says three accredited members of the seven-strong team including the team manager have left the council or handed in their notice in recent weeks. 

The strike was called because staff were unhappy that changes to pay and conditions meant the team members lost a 20 per cent increase in pay for working unsocial hours. 

At the time, the council said team members instead received a 30 per cent increase in pay for any hours worked between 10pm and 6am. 

Councillor Emma Bushell, the council’s deputy leader and cabinet member for organisational oversight, said: “Like many councils across the country, we are experiencing challenges recruiting Approved Mental Health Practitioners and this is impacting on our ability to consistently deliver a service. 

 “We are working with our teams to explore how we can address this issue going forward. Responding to the needs of our residents is a priority and we are committed to seeking a swift solution to our current challenges.”