Mental Health Social Care: The Missing Piece in Policy Reform
Naomi Graves
Published: August 4, 2026
Mental health social care is not merely an adjunct to health services. It is a distinct and foundational part of how society supports people living with mental illness, deep distress or complex psychosocial needs. It seeks to enable people to live full and meaningful lives in their communities, not just to treat symptoms but to…
Read moreResponding to the Mental Health Strategy for England Call for Evidence: A Practical Guide for our Members
Naomi Graves
Published: June 24, 2026
The Government’s call for evidence on the new Mental Health Strategy for England is looking for practical examples of what helps people stay well, access support earlier, avoid crisis, and live well in their communities. Mental health charities are uniquely placed to provide this evidence. Across the country, charities are already delivering the kind of…
Read moreNeighbourhood Mental Health Centres Pilot Programme
Naomi Graves
Published: June 18, 2026
Early learnings from the VCFSE Sector, to inform the development of Neighbourhood Health The NHS 10-Year Plan, Fit for the Future, sets out three priority strategic shifts for health and care in England: towards neighbourhood-based care, prevention, and digitisation. The Neighbourhood Mental Health Centre pilot programme (also known as Community Mental Health Centres) sits squarely…
Read moreCharity Commissioning Charter
Naomi Graves
Published: June 11, 2026
The current commissioning climate isn’t working. We need a step change towards more equitable, mutually beneficial working practices between commissioners and Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise (VCFSE) mental health service providers. Where commissioners and providers can work together to ensure that local need is met by the right services in the most effective way.…
Read moreInquiry into Children and Young People’s Mental Health – Summary of Our Key Recommendations
Naomi Graves
Published: April 17, 2026
In February 2026, the Health and Social Care and Education Committees launched an inquiry into children and young people’s mental health, exploring the mental health support available to children and young people in community, health and education settings. As the national voice of over 300 mental health charities in England and Wales, we represent approximately…
Read moreThe future of AI in mental health charities: with Anxiety UK
Naomi Graves
Published: April 1, 2026
Mental health charities support people from all walks of life, everyday, on their journey to better health and wellbeing. Our workforces are in person, over the phone, online, supporting people when they need it most. So where does AI come in? In the first blog in our series on AI in mental health charities, Lee Hall from Everyturn Mental Health told us about the importance…
Read moreThe future of AI in mental health charities: with Lee Hall from Everyturn Mental Health
Naomi Graves
Published: March 19, 2026
Mental health charities support people from all walks of life, everyday, on their journey to better health and wellbeing. Our workforces are in person, over the phone, online, supporting people when they need it most. So where does AI come in? At our recent Members’ meeting, we discussed how we can make the most of AI as mental health charities, without compromising on the quality…
Read moreOur response to the Government’s Spring Statement 2026
Naomi Graves
Published: March 3, 2026
Today the Chancellor marked the Government’s progress against its mission for economic growth. But, for mental health charities across the country, ‘growth’ is a distant reality. Mental health charities support over 8 million people across England and Wales, in early prevention, intervention and crisis. They are a lifeline. They support people to live well in their communities. This can involve holistic support, for example to stay in work and return to employment, which often isn’t available under…
Read moreMarr Procurement partners with Association of Mental Health Providers to deliver savings to mental health charities
Naomi Graves
Published: March 3, 2026
Marr Procurement, the UK’s leading procurement specialist for the health and care sector, has announced a new three-year partnership with the Association of Mental Health Providers. The partnership will support more than 300 mental health and social care charities providing services to over 8 million people across England and Wales to manage rising costs and protect lifesaving frontline services. At a time when voluntary sector providers…
Read moreOur response to the Government’s Minimum Income Guarantee boost
Naomi Graves
Published: February 17, 2026
We welcome the government’s decision to uprate the Minimum Income Guarantee for disabled adults in social care. Years of frozen rates caused serious hardship for people in social care, and an uplift that outpaces inflation is an important step towards addressing these harms. This decision comes at a critical time in the government’s drive towards social care reform, and after years of stagnation, the pace of progress can’t stop here. Social care reform needs to deliver for the whole system: disabled people,…
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