York Mental Health Partnership wins £2.44m for new 24/7 mental health hub

YMHP and the Connecting our City project will use this funding to develop a new 24/7 community mental health hub in the west of the city.

This hub will be open 24/7 to local adults (aged 18+) needing mental health support with no need for a referral. The compassionate, qualified and experienced staff running it will be able to support anyone in distress, helping them to access crisis services and wider support when needed.

During the hub’s core daytime hours, it will be run by a multi-disciplinary team of statutory NHS and voluntary sector staff, including clinicians, social workers, social prescribers and peer support workers. They will offer access to mental health support in the local community in a calm and comfortable environment.

The Connecting our City project has been developing a community-based mental health hub model over the last two years, with a hub also under development to support residents in the north of the city.

The new hub is likely to be developed in Acomb to support people in the west of the city. It will be co-developed in collaboration with people with lived experience, local residents, carers and those with community connections. The exact location will be confirmed soon.

In the future, YMHP aims to create a third hub in the east of the city to ensure enhanced community mental health support is available to residents across the whole of York.

The York hub model is strongly influenced by services in Trieste in northern Italy and has been developed as part of the Community Mental Health Transformation Programme, which aims to transform the way people with mental health needs are supported in their local community. To ensure the best approach and outcomes for local people, the Connecting our City project team and YMHP established a learning agreement and support between staff, service users and carers across both cities.

Ros Savege, carer and York resident, said: “I visited Trieste with a party from York seven years ago. We were all struck by the easily accessible, holistic care that was offered throughout the whole of a person’s mental health journey. York is now one step nearer to becoming a city where people – such as my relative – can be confident that care will be available in a familiar place from a trusted team whenever they need it.

“The York Mental Health Partnership is a meeting of equals, the constant drive to do the right thing for York has been inspiring, though the route has not always been straightforward. Our determination is now paying off.”

Professor Lynne Gabriel OBE, Professor of Counselling and Mental Health from York St John University and Dr Stephen Wright, Clinical Lead with Humber and North Yorkshire MHLDA Collaborative are the independent co-chairs of the YMHP.

Lynne Gabriel said: “Through the determined work of the Connecting Our City project and programme team, as well as York Mental Health Partnership colleagues and collaborators, we’ve delivered a daytime co-designed and co-produced community venue and service that provides compassionate person-centred care.

“Having successfully secured the NHSE funding, we now can extend that offer into a 24/7 community mental health hub – an exciting and much-needed innovation!”

Brian Cranna, Director Care Group Director of Operations & Transformation at Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust (TEWV), said: “We are excited to be given this opportunity to continue to develop the changes we are making alongside our partners and local communities in transforming the way mental health support is being provided across the City of York.

“This funding will allow us to deliver change more quickly and allow us to extend our provision and to provide support within the community hub 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We look forward to celebrating its success and the positive impact it will have in people’s experience of care and support.”

From the voluntary and community sector, Alyson Scott, chief executive officer of York Mind, and Sharron Smith, chief executive officer of York Carers Centre, work with the partnership. 

Alyson Scott said: “The wonderful thing about receiving this funding is we started with what people who use services want and need and we built up from there. The whole process has brought together people across statutory and voluntary services and combined with people with lived experiences, we have worked through the challenges and are a stronger, more trusting partnership as a result.”

Sharron Smith said: “Mental health carers have long struggled to be seen and heard. However, significant improvements have been made since the establishment of the hub in the northern part of the city. From the outset, carers have been actively involved and included, with support provided to them on a par with those they care for. The introduction of a new 24/7 resource will further build on this work and it is fantastic to see mental health carers finally receiving the support they deserve.”

Councillor Lucy Steels-Walshaw, Executive Member for Health, Wellbeing and Adult Social Care at City of York Council, said: “This is a really exciting opportunity to make a difference to people’s lives in York, as residents experiencing issues with their mental health can access the right support when they need it.

“The Connecting our City partnership has successfully co-developed York’s first hub by uniting people across health, social care, the voluntary sector and people with lived experience of mental health problems and their carers.

“Their work, passion and dedication is reflected in the support delivered, and this new funding recognises how effective it is, and the need to deliver more to our residents. We can now take the next step of achieving the vision of 24/7 provision.”

Sarah Coltman-Lovell, York Place Director for NHS Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (ICB), said: “We are delighted to have secured this funding which will enhance mental health support for people in York. It demonstrates the strength of relationships across organisations and local communities the York Mental Health Partnership has developed.

“This initiative reflects our commitment to transforming mental health services across the city; working closely with partners, residents and those with lived experience to create a truly inclusive and supportive environment. The 24/7 hub will empower people to shape and own their service offer and space.”