Community Mental Health Transformation funding supports more local Third Sector organisations to expand their services
The Community Mental Health Transformation (CMHT) programme, led by Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust (CWPT), has provided a second year of Innovation Funds worth £360,000. These funds have been distributed to 24 local Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) partners across Coventry and Warwickshire.
As the Transformation programme continues into its third year the importance of community-based services, working in partnership, and collaborating across organisations is vital for community mental health services to keep on reaching people who need their support. By building on the success of last year's funds we can ensure that more people who need support can be reached and that improved mental health services offer more choice and control for people living with mental health challenges. Last year, the Innovation Fund distributed £300,000 to 14 VCSE projects providing invaluable support in our communities; 1621 people have been supported so far through these projects/services and across all 14 projects, participants' mental health scores improved by an average of 91.81% and all scores improved by a minimum of 70%.
The CMHT Programme is bringing together experience and support from all sectors across Coventry and Warwickshire and recognises how well-placed the passion and influence of local organisations are to drive forward new community-based services. VCSE partners play a crucial role in delivering mental health care for adults and older adults with severe mental health needs as close to home as possible. The successful projects provide a trauma-informed service or have a trauma-informed way of working; this is a keystone of the Community Mental Health Transformation. Trauma-informed means that people are asked “What has happened to you?” rather than “What is wrong with you?”.
Dr Richard Onyon, Chief Medical Officer at Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust said:
“It’s been exciting to work alongside the organisations involved with last year's Innovation Fund and see the benefits that working in a co-productive way alongside them has brought to people in our local communities. This year will see that offer expand, including more VCSE partners to best meet the needs of our diverse and vibrant communities, challenging the health inequalities gap across all of Coventry and Warwickshire”.
The organisations receiving funding will cover a wide range of projects that will offer support to the LGBTQ+ community, people from French-speaking African communities, parents, people experiencing homelessness, people struggling with loneliness and isolation, and people affected by the Cost-of-Living crisis.
We look forward to sharing more about the brilliant achievements of these 24 projects soon. For more information, please contact Eleanor Nunn at E.Nunn@vacoventry.org.uk