Mental Health

Mental Health2024-08-15T16:44:29+01:00

About the Mental Health Network

Forum Central promotes good mental health for all people in Leeds. We work to ensure that the health and care third sector is involved in strategic planning and development of mental health services.

What we do

  • Encourage partnership working between agencies and across sectors, providing information to third sector organisations to support them in delivering high quality services.
  • Ensure that the third sector is an integral part of the strategic planning and development of mental health services in Leeds.
  • Maintain working relationships with mental health commissioners and statutory partners across the city, working together to continuously improve the services Leeds provides to support people’s mental health.

To find out which of our member organisations deliver mental health services, visit our member directory.

Get in touch

Gabriella Obeng Nyarko
Gabriella Obeng Nyarko

We hold regular mental health information and strategy sessions open to everyone with an interest in the mental health third sector. These meetings are an opportunity to network, get the latest strategic updates and hear from guest speakers.

Latest updates
The last Mental Health Information & Strategy meeting was held on Thursday 1 August – 1:30pm – 3:00pm

2024 meeting dates: 

  • Wednesday 25 September – 1:30pm – 3:00pm
  • Wednesday 20 November – 1:30pm – 3:00pm

The network meets every 2 months via Zoom or in person, we recommend if you cannot join us a colleague takes your place or, if you wish to convey a message to the network, please send us the information up to 7 days before the meeting and we will bring it to the meeting on your behalf.  We are always keen to highlight the fantastic work our members are doing to support communities in Leeds, if you would like to share a presentation please email us for more information.

Membership

Our member organisations support people through a variety of different ways, including:

Peer support, one-to-one support, psychological therapies, counselling
Healthy living, group wellbeing activities, self-management courses, arts and wellbeing
Mental health specialist services
Carer support, Dementia services
Employment support, homelessness support, specialist supported housing
Anti-stigma work, Advocacy, information and advice
Working with many of the communities with the greatest inequalities and those who are most at risk of poor mental health.

Our members are at the heart of what we do, and we aim to ensure that organisations both large and small can influence decisions about mental health across Leeds and the region, as well as nationally.

To find out more about our members please search the Forum Central members directory

For more information on joining please contact us.

Representation

Our members and the Forum Central team play an active part in the key strategic mental health and wellbeing groups and boards in Leeds.

The board is now chaired by Cath Roth and Hannah Davies and the 3rd sector representatives are:
  • Iain Anderson, CEO of Age UK
  • Jay Silver, Clinical and Community Services Manager at Touchstone
  • Jenny Groves, Founder & CEO of Battle Scars
  • Joy McMillan, Peer Support Worker (Mental Health Collaborative)
  • Pip Goff, Director of Volition
  • Sinead Cregan, Director of Development and Innovation at Inspire North
  • Tessa Denham Director of Women’s Counselling and Therapy Service

The Leeds Health and Wellbeing Strategy provides a framework for improving health and for making Leeds the best city for health and wellbeing. In response, the Leeds Mental Health Strategy sets out how we will achieve this vison for mental health, so that ‘Leeds will be a Mentally Healthy City for everyone’.

View the Leeds Mental Health Strategy 2020-2025

Senior Responsible Officers (SRO’s) have been identified for each of the priority groups which are now forming and detailing project initiation documentation, workstreams and identifying key representatives and outcome/person centred measures for each. This diagram shows the delivery plan in summary and SRO’s aligned to each Priority as of Nov 2020 (subject to change).

An SRO’s group meets regularly to oversee progress and reports directly into the Mental Health Partnership Board for Strategic governance and steer.

As each workstream develops third sector representation will be key. If you are interested in finding out more about how to get involved and becoming a rep for the sector with support from Forum Central, please contact [email protected]

Background: Prior to Oct 2019 the draft document for the strategy was presented at a variety of stakeholder engagement events, including the MH info & Strategy session in Sept 2019.

Synergi is a network of organizations – both statutory and voluntary – that share a commitment to reducing ethnic inequalities in mental health and mental health detentions. They aim to create a culture of change throughout the entire system and life course. Synergi empowers people to make changes within their services by fostering collaboration and building trust between communities and services. This network supports the delivery of priority 2. If you need more information, please send an email to Gabriella.obengnyarko@forumcentral.org.uk.

Developed by employers, for employers, Mindful Employer® is a national initiative which promotes positive practice around mental health in the workplace. Mindful Employer in Leeds is funded by Leeds City Council Public Health and delivered by Leeds Mind.

The Mindful Employer Leeds service offers support and guidance to employers around mental health in the workplace, encouraging best practice and the reduction of mental ill-health at work. Employers can also join the Mindful Employer network, which meets regularly to share good ideas, tips and support.

The Steering Group consists of cross-sector representatives, and meets quarterly to drive the initiative forward in Leeds.

Third Sector representatives:

  • Sophie Hailwood, Operations Director, Touchstone
  • Jenn Bravo, Turning Lives Around
  • Gabriella Obeng Nyarko, Mental Health Development Worker

This group brings together third sector, statutory sector and other key partners in the city to oversee the delivery of a coordinated multi-agency response to reduce the number of people who die by suicide. The group also champions support for those bereaved by suicide and the prevention of poor mental health.

  • Chair: Caron Walker, Public Health, Leeds City Council

Third sector representatives:

  • Gabriella Obeng Nyarko, Mental Health Development Worker
  • Sarah Wilson, Senior Mental Health Development Worker
  • Damian Dawtry, Men’s Health Unlocked Coordinator

This group is a collective of third sector, statutory sector, criminal sector, and other key partners in the city to oversee the delivery of a coordinated multi-agency response to address the existing pathway of support for people involved in the criminal justice system from start to finish. We are also working with these colleagues around supporting vulnerable people transitioning out of prison, strengthening connections between prison and third-sector services, and signposting to mental health resources and support including Mindwell.

Chair: Caron Walker, Public Health, Leeds City Council

Third-sector representatives:  Gabriella Obeng Nyarko Mental Health Development Worker

Information & Resources

  • In response to the The Leeds Health and Wellbeing Strategy, which provides a framework for improving health and for making Leeds the ‘best city for health and wellbeing’, the Leeds Mental Health Strategy sets out how this vision will be achieved for mental health, so that ‘Leeds will be a Mentally Healthy City for everyone’.

    The Mental Health Strategy was updated to highlight the existing challenges facing the sector and how the city plans to address mental health needs and promote good mental health. In 2022, three workstreams were added to highlight the impact Covid-19 has on mental health and well-being for many people.

    Leeds All Age Mental Health Strategy 2020-2025

  • Welcoming Spaces

    The Leeds Welcome Spaces (previously warm hubs) scheme which VAL and Forum Central are supporting aims to ensure places that are safe, warm, and welcoming are available free of charge, for people and communities in Leeds. Warm Spaces in this scheme are free to use, and often include drinks and snacks, as well as a variety of activities, and services such as Wi-Fi.

  • Leeds Suicide Audit

    The Leeds Suicide Audit is nationally recognised as best practice and is recommended by Public Health England. Details are available from the Leeds City Council website.

  • Transforming Mental Health Grants
    The Transforming Mental Health grants are now open! Third-sector organisations can apply for up to 35k to support the transformation of services for people with complex mental health needs. Part of the application pack includes Involvement Findings from what people and communities have told us they need. There is a one-page summary, which links to a more detailed document of findings.

  • Mental Health Emerging Themes in Leeds health & care third sector organisations During COVID-19 April to July 2020

    This report is based on feedback from 65 organisations with only a few supported by quantitative data and from insight gained from the Communities of Interest network between April and July 2020.

  • Household Support Fund

    Grants of up to £1,000 and £5,000 are being administered by Forum Central and distributed to organisations that support Communities of Interest including cultural diversity, people with mental health difficulties (including Young People), learning disabilities, physical and sensory impairment and older people.

    There is no deadline – applications will be assessed weekly until all funds are allocated. All grants must be spent by March 2023.

Published Before 2019
  • Leeds in Mind 2017 (pdf)

    The Leeds in Mind 2017 –  Mental Health Needs Assessment report assesses the mental health needs of the adult Leeds population, identifies where gaps in provision exist and makes recommendations to address inequity in access to healthcare and unequal health outcomes.

  • Five Year Forward View for Mental Health (pdf)

    A report from the independent Mental Health Taskforce to the NHS in England | February 2016

Mental Health news and events

The Journey to Racial Equity in Leeds Mental Health Services

31st October 2024|MailChimp, Mental Health, Training|

Kerrie Channer, Clinical Psychologist and Courtney Caris, Assistant Psychologist have produced a resource to support conversations within Teams and organisations about Racial Equity in mental health services. This toolkit supplements the "Equality in Leeds Mental Health Services" documentary by Synergi [...]

12 Dec 2024 Forum Central Joint Networks Meeting

25th October 2024|Communities of Interest, Events, Featured, Health & Care, Learning Disability, Local Care Partnerships, MailChimp, Men's Health, Mental Health, Older People, PSI|

Joint Networks Meeting | Thursday 12 December 2024, 1 to 3 PM at Swarthmore We're ending the year with an extra special network meeting! This in-person event is a chance to meet other network members, celebrate, share a conversation over [...]

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