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.

To tackle this issue, our Business Development Network set out to develop a shared framework for fair, transparent, and sustainable commissioning between statutory bodies and VCFSE mental health providers.

The Network is a core, influential group of our members who come together regularly to develop thinking around commissioning, funding and sustainability challenges facing the sector. Members of the network are leaders in charity business development – with expertise across small, medium and large charity sustainability and with in-depth understanding of the mental health services which keep our nation healthy.

This Charter was developed by mental health charities for commissioners – to facilitate and enhance the ways we work together as partners. This Charter sets out 7 Commitments, which together make a framework for fair VCFSE commissioning practices.

We ask commissioners to pledge to embed this framework into their everyday commissioning practice and to continue to work with us as equal partners towards a better future of commissioning.