Our current projects are:
Scottish projects:
We have been funded by the Department of Health to undertake a Northamptonshire-based project to address urgent workforce issues in the third sector.
The Government plans to increase use of voluntary organisations as providers of services to service users. This will include third sector delivery of some services currently commissioned from statutory agencies, as well as the development of innovative new services promoting recovery and social inclusion.
In Northamptonshire, our project will help the third sector address:
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We have been commissioned by the Strategic Network for Mental Health (Birmingham Mind, Advance, Second Step and Sussex Oakleaf) to support the delivery of recovery-based practice across eight pilot sites across England. Each pilot site will have a staff and service user lead who we will be supporting via regular action learning sets. Lead staff from the participating organisations, along with user representatives on the project steering group, will have their own action learning sets.
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This project builds on the success of our 'Up and Running' campaign which highlighted the effectiveness of structured exercise as a first line treatment for depression. The report also highlighted the apparent reluctance of GPs to refer people with mild to moderate depression to exercise referral schemes, despite NICE guidelines and evidence of efficacy.
The project will use an Exercise Referral Champion to promote exercise therapy for mild to moderate depression as a realistic and readily available tool for GPs and as an option people can understand and choose themselves.
More information on exercise and depression
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The Mental Health Foundation and Sign, the National Society for Mental Health and Deafness, produced the Deaf Mental Health Charter to raise awareness of the basic rights of deaf people when receiving mental health services. More information about the Deaf Mental Health Charter
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The travelling bursaries programme continues to run, but the Mental Health Foundation will not be offering further bursaries until an evaluation is carried out of the 8 grants awarded in 2005 to mental health staff, service users and others working in and around UK mental health services.
The aim of the bursaries is to encourage people in the mental health field to broaden their knowledge and experience through travelling to see mental health provision or activities in other settings in the UK and abroad.
Findings from the 8 projects will be published in due course.
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Scottish projects
Participatory Arts Self Evaluation Project was a 6 month capacity building and mentoring project for Scottish based participatory arts projects.
It was led by the Mental Health Foundation in association with the Scottish Arts Council’s ArtFull Initiative and Evaluation Scotland and is supported by the National Programme for Improving Mental Health and Well Being, Scottish Executive.
The primary aim of this project was to pilot a self-evaluation approach amongst a small group of participatory arts projects from 6 pilot sites. Read the final report.
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For the Crisis Project, we are working with the Scottish Association for Mental Health (SAMH). The project is part funded by the Scottish Executive Mental Health Division and has developed national standards for crisis services as part of the Scottish Executive’s Mental Health Delivery Plan. We are now developing a learning network for mental health practitioners to share practice around implementation of the standards and we aim to produce a practice resource pack.
Read Delivering for Health: Delivering for Mental Health National Standards for Crisis Services
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The Mental Health Foundation and the Scottish Association for Mental Health have produced the 'Staying Healthy in Hospital' guide. This handy wallet sized, foldout card provides advice on ways to look after your mental health while in hospital. The guide was developed by people who currently use or have used mental health services in Scotland. More information about Staying Healthy in Hospital
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If you have any questions or comments please email our webteam.
Products from past research into service development can be found in Publications.
As well as service development, we also do research into mental health of all age groups.
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