New standards for community mental health centres

The Mental Health Commission's (MHC) regulatory remit is expanding with new national standards for community residential mental health centres being published today.

The standards were developed by the MHC as part of preparations for the implementation of the Mental Health Act 2026.

Under the new legislation, community mental health services, including Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), will come under formal regulatory oversight for the first time.

Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland Chief Executive of the MHC John Farrelly said the standards will set out what is expected from the centres.

He said: "The majority of people obviously aren't in inpatient centres. They're in these community residences and they receive services.

"So in this way, for example, in our latest research, we found that 26% of people in inpatient beds would be better served out in the community receiving services.

"So now we know with these centres, we have the standards there, we'll be able to register these centres, inspect them and really ensure and drive which is the Government priority services out into where we live in the community and early."

In relation to failures in oversight, risk management, and staffing in CAMHS services, Mr Farrelly said these concerns will be addressed as part of the Act.

"We've also been asked by the minister to develop the CAMHS standards and we will have those standards at the start of the new year.

"Yes, they will absolutely create a benchmark for services to know what a good service is like and also for the public to know what a good service is like.

"So I've no doubt, we've seen it before, that standards when you put them in place improve services and our expectation is the same will happen here."