Centre for Mental Health: Supporting ‘Mentally Healthier Councils’ and their communities

Good mental health, heavily influenced by our communities, is fundamental to people living happy, fulfilling and productive lives.

Knowing this, Centre for Mental Health have developed a range of tools and resources for local government to support and strengthen mental wellbeing in their communities, from convening the Mentally Healthier Councils Network to partnering with Better Mental Health Training for Councils.

Creating good mental health means:

• enhancing protective factors (like good housing, social connection, strong families and access to nature)
• reducing the risk factors (such as poverty and inequality, racism and discrimination, bullying, loneliness, and violence).

Councils have powers and responsibilities that affect residents’ mental health – using them wisely can protect and promote mental wellbeing, with widespread benefits both immediately and long-term.

• Mentally Healthier Councils Network brings together councillors and officers to promote better mental health in their communities and share learning across the sector. Anyone with a .gov.uk email address can join here for free. As soon as members log in, they can access tailored resources, events and advice.
• Local authorities’ mental health needs assessments are fundamental to taking evidence-backed steps towards improvement. To support councils in undertaking these assessments, Centre for Mental Health created a good practice guide
• Centre for Mental Health canevaluate local mental health improvement programmes, including those created through the Better Mental Health Fund.
• Centre for Mental Health can act as experts in independent reviews. For example, West Midlands Combined Authority set up an independent Commission involving Centre for Mental Health to explore how to reduce inequalities in mental health outcomes.

Better Mental Health for Councils is a training programme delivered in partnership with Centre for Mental Health. The interactive training for councillors and officers promotes new, innovative approaches that attendees can take back and implement in their places. Attendees are encouraged to join the Network to share good practice and connect with peers. The training was developed by local government public health expert Ed Davie (Tower Hamlets public health manager, university lecturer, senior councillor responsible for health and LGA peer).

Better Mental Health for Councils has been delivered to around 1,000 councillors in nearly 50 local authorities. Evaluation from the National Institute for Health and Care Research found that:

• 93 per cent of attendees rated the training excellent or good
• 68 per cent of attendees mentally healthier behaviour
• 48 per cent changed their council’s policies to be mentally healthier

Councillors and officers from Bury in Greater Manchester took part in the training and were inspired to make several changes to their wider mental health related work captured in the Better Together Bury report

 ‘Ed was a real catalyst for change, giving people best practice ideas and energy – as a result we have prioritised improving people’s living conditions and better access to support – it has made a really positive difference.’

Bury Public Health Specialist Lee Buggie

The Mentally Healthier Councils Network and Better Mental Health training are here to help local councils to make a difference in the communities they serve. It’s not easy, and in many areas the shape of local government is changing – disruption that can sometimes impede and sometimes help to promote progress. But by thinking about mental health when making policies of all kinds, and acting on the evidence of what can help to boost your population’s mental wellbeing, councils can change the ways they make decisions, at no extra cost, with multiple benefits.

To support councils to go further and self-assess the progress they’re making, Centre for Mental Health has created a Mentally Healthier Councils Framework. We’re also keen to keep learning from practice and innovation across the country, and we’re inspired by the creativity and commitment we see from public health teams, elected members and others who are determined to make a difference.

• Join the Mentally Healthier Councils Network
• Explore booking Better Mental Health Training for your council
• Use a new mental health needs assessment process to kickstart a wider conversation in improving a range of factors affecting mental health.

To hear more about how Centre for Mental Health can support councils, contact Andy Bell, Chief Executive: [email protected]