Building partnerships between the NHS and a range of local voluntary and community sector groups can deliver more effective and equitable support for people living with a mental illness, according to a new report by Centre for Mental Health.
More than the sum of our parts is based on a three-year evaluation of local voluntary sector-led ‘alliances’ created by the charity Rethink Mental Illness, with funding from the Charities Aid Foundation.
It says that bringing local voluntary sector services together can improve care for people whose needs have often been overlooked or poorly met, including people from LGBTQ+ and racialised communities.
The report evaluated the impact of local mental health alliances in Coventry and Warwickshire, North East Lincolnshire, Sheffield, and Tower Hamlets in London. It finds that these alliances enabled services to be designed alongside people with experience of mental health problems. This makes the service more effective and more accessible.
More than the sum of our parts says that charities and community organisations play a vital role in delivering mental health support, and are often better placed and more trusted to meet local people’s needs than statutory bodies. Bringing these organisations together in local alliances can offer more coordinated care and stop people from ‘falling through the cracks’ of support.
Partnership working within the voluntary and community sector is too often undermined by a system that forces voluntary and community organisations to compete for short-term contracts to survive. It says that sustainable financial backing is paramount to ensure the success of local alliances. Working to overcome mistrust and centring the voices of people with lived experience are also critical.
Andy Bell, chief executive at Centre for Mental Health, said: “Voluntary and community sector organisations are more widely trusted by people with mental health difficulties who have had bad experiences with a range of statutory services. But they are hampered by insecure contracts, short-term funding and bureaucratic processes that stop them fulfilling their potential. Rethink’s leadership in supporting local alliances shows the potential of this way of working to provide a sustainable footing for collaboration that meets people’s needs in the places and communities we all live in.”
Mark Winstanley, chief executive at Rethink Mental Illness, said: “Collaboration is essential for the future of mental healthcare. Working in partnership, we can ensure that more people receive effective care when they need it. Services must be designed with input from those with lived experience to ensure they best meet their needs, striving for greater equity so no one is left behind. This evaluation also highlights the valuable role of the voluntary sector, and we hope the pioneering efforts in the trailblazing regions can be expanded nationwide.”
