Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance is provided to NHS Mental Health Trusts on involving families and carers in the care and support of mental health patients.

The Community Mental Health Framework makes clear that families and carers should be involved in the design of services and in the assessment and delivery of care. It emphasises that assessment should be a collaborative, biopsychosocial process involving the individual, their families, carers and wider support network, based on communication, respect and shared understanding.

NHS England is also developing further guidance through the Mental Health Personalised Care Framework, which will support services to involve families, carers and support networks appropriately in care planning and delivery, as part of effective personalised care. In addition, the Culture of Care Standards highlight that high-quality inpatient mental health care should actively involve families and carers wherever possible, recognising the important knowledge they bring and the positive impact this can have on safety, continuity and recovery.

We have also launched a call for evidence to shape the new mental health strategy, which closes on 10 July 2026. The call for evidence is available at the following link:

https://consultations.dhsc.gov.uk/informing-the-mental-health-strategy-for-england