Blogs
Read contributions of experiences and perspectives on the VCSE mental health sector, service delivery, mental health policy and other pertinent topics.
Keeping our Workforce Well: Supporting the VCSE Mental Health Sector
Dania Hanif
Published: June 30, 2020
Kathy Roberts, Chief Executive, Association of Mental Health Providers Sarah Hughes, Chief Executive, Centre for Mental Health and Trustee, The Association The coronavirus pandemic has put pressure on mental health across society, and it brings especial challenges for the health and care workforce. Significant attention has been paid to the emotional and psychological needs of…
Read moreGuest Blog: Governance During Covid-19
Dania Hanif
Published: June 10, 2020
– Anna Barnes, Chair, Seaview I have been chair of Seaview, an open access health and well-being centre in St Leonards on Sea, East Sussex, since 2013 but involved with and supported the charity for over 35 years. On a usual day, we can work with up to 100 people. It feels like a very…
Read moreSocial Prescribing and Mental Health
Dania Hanif
Published: February 20, 2020
– Brendan Hill, CEO, Mental Health Concern Social Prescribing, link work, and community-based support have come to the fore over the last couple of years partly as a result of being included in the NHS Long-Term plan’s commitment to make personalised care ‘business as usual’ across the health and care system. This is clearly a…
Read moreOur New EDM's Thoughts on the EDP...
Dania Hanif
Published: January 27, 2020
With ever-increasing cuts to public funding and growing competition for grant and philanthropic funds, many organisations are desperate to find ways to diversify their income. Understandably, the potential opportunities for diversification from enterprise or trading is often treated with caution or avoided. Building on from that, the Enterprise Development Programme (EDP) has been designed to…
Read moreGuest Blog: Suicide - A Preventable Death
Dania Hanif
Published: November 18, 2019
– Gemma Bruce, Head of External Affairs, Turning Point On 8 November, Turning Point launched our national Suicide Prevention Strategy at our substance misuse service in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. We chose Leicester because we provide both crisis mental health and substance services locally and there is a strong culture of partnership working between statutory…
Read moreBrexit and the VCSE Mental Health Sector
Dania Hanif
Published: October 16, 2019
The role of the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector (VCSE) in supporting mental health conditions is well established. The sector provides treatment, care and support services for people living with mental health needs. The sector also employs a workforce with a wealth of knowledge, skills and expertise. Over 1.5 million people access CCG-commissioned mental…
Read moreGuest Blog: Social Prescribing
Dania Hanif
Published: March 14, 2019
– Margaret Hanson, CEO, Imagine Independence #SocialPrescribingDay CEO of Imagine Independence, a 3rd Sector organisation promoting mental health and wellbeing, Margaret Hanson will be joining thousands across the country today (Thursday 14 March) to celebrate Social Prescribing Day. However, as a champion of this approach for more than a decade, Margaret is keen to explore why…
Read moreGuest Blog: Mental Health Concern's Response to Rethink Report on Supported Housing
Dania Hanif
Published: July 25, 2018
The Association has collaborated with, and supported, the research and publication of the new Rethink Mental Illness report on supported housing; This Could Cost Lives. Our member Mental Health Concern have written an opinion piece in response. – Brendan Hill, Mental Health Concern Mental Health Concern (MHC) welcomes the report from RETHINK, which highlights the…
Read moreGuest Blog: Mental Health Research Roundtable
Association of Mental Health Providers
Published: June 7, 2018
-Louise Arseneault, ESRC Mental Health Leadership Fellow, King’s College London #MHResearchRoundtable The current synergy around mental health calls for greater collaboration between academia and the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector to better understand, prevent and treat mental health conditions. The need for this partnership emerges from both sides. On the one hand, academic…
Read moreGuest Blog: The Impact of Reduced Support on our Customers with Mental Health Conditions
Association of Mental Health Providers
Published: May 31, 2018
-Julie Layton, Advance UK As a housing and support organisation for people with learning disabilities or mental health conditions, Advance is committed to providing high quality support that will enable our customers to live the lives they choose. However, in today’s financial climate, it is proving increasingly difficult to provide services that are customer-centred, deliver…
Read moreGuest Blog: The Mental Health and Smoking Partnership: Tackling Health Inequality
Association of Mental Health Providers
Published: February 6, 2018
-Hazel Cheeseman, Action on Smoking and Health There are many challenges in mental health services today but few feel more pressing than finding solutions to the stark difference in life expectancy between the users of these services and the population as a whole. In recent times there has been a growing movement to address the…
Read moreGuest Blog: Shared Ownership
Association of Mental Health Providers
Published: November 22, 2017
– Julie Layton, Advance UK What is shared ownership? Advance was one of the first organisations in the UK to deliver shared ownership for customers with learning disabilities and mental health conditions. It is now one of the few remaining housing providers who still offer this form of housing. Since 1997 we’ve helped more than…
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