To ask the Minister of Health, pursuant to AQW 10168/22-27, and given his assessment of the contribution Find Help NI makes towards the delivery of the Mental Health Strategy, whether he will consider (i) providing funding to deliver and expand their site; (ii) inviting them to participate in the relevant sub-group of the Mental Health Strategy Steering Group; and (iii) tasking the Public Health Agency to promote their site.

Find Help NI received £259,022 of funding through the Department’s Mental Health Support Fund (MHSF). The MHSF was established using unspent Covid-19 monies and was a one-off, non-recurring fund for a period of three years, from April 2021 to March 2024. All monies allocated to the fund have now been exhausted and, unfortunately, due to the financial situation which the Department continues to face, there is no budget to extend such funding.

Currently, there are no plans to invite Find Help NI to participate in the Mental Health Strategy Strategic Reform Board. However, in delivering on Action 17 of the Mental Health Strategy (MHS) in 2024/25, the Department intends to engage with many organisations, such as Find Help NI, to assess the capacity and scope within the Community & Voluntary sector in order to inform the required steps for integration of the sector within the delivery of mental health services, including the attendant structures of the Regional Mental Health Service.

The Public Health Agency (PHA) has no ability to ensure that the services being offered by Find Help NI meet relevant quality standards, therefore the PHA are unable to promote the site.