Mental health is made in communities. Our chances of enjoying good mental health, and our risks of mental ill health, are shaped in the places we live in, our families, our neighbourhoods, schools, workplaces, and much more.
Local government has a pivotal role in creating the conditions for better mental health in the communities it serves. Local councils can’t make us all mentally healthy. But they can give us the best possible chance of having good mental health. They can address the risk factors that put people’s mental health under pressure. And they can help people struggling with their mental health to recover their lives.
Every decision made in local government affects people’s mental health one way or another – for better or worse. So being purposeful and explicit in seeking to benefit mental health as much as possible, councils can be more confident that the sometimes difficult choices they have to make are as helpful as they can be.
In every corner of the country, councils are doing what they can to support mental health, while also coping with the ongoing effects of austerity and the unavoidable cuts to services that come with it. Many councils have therefore had to be creative with the resources they have. As well as their spending powers, councils can be powerful convenors, bringing in resources from charitable organisations and businesses, using their influence to boost mental health in workplaces and schools, and aligning public services to achieve shared goals.
This resource contains examples of policies and actions taken by local councils across England that have sought to benefit people’s mental health. They have been shared with us by councils themselves, to provide ideas and inspiration to anyone working in a local authority looking for examples of council projects, strategies and schemes that have been impactful at improving on the wider determinants of mental health. This is a live resource which we will continue to update. We want it to be a resource for councils to learn from one another, so that good ideas are known about more widely and taken up and adapted in different places.
Contact
Has your council implemented initiatives to boost mental health? We’d love to hear about them!
Please get in touch with Shizana Arshad at Centre for Mental Health if you would like to submit content to be included or for further information. We will be looking to add case studies where we can highlight what the policy is addressing, its purpose and aims, and the impact it has made.
Mental health
Mental health initiatives
Halton Borough Council: Contractors must include mental health and wellbeing statement in bids for council contracts
Halton Borough Council is the first in the UK to require construction contractors to include a scored statement on mental health and wellbeing in their bids. This means that contractors must outline how they will support the mental health of their staff and subcontractors as part of the tender process. The council hopes this initiative will help reduce the high suicide rate within the construction industry.
Hampshire County Council: ‘Chat about’ – using libraries to reduce social isolation
Funded by the DWP Household Support Fund, Hampshire libraries host a weekly drop in for residents to meet new friends and have a chat. These welcoming spaces provide communities with opportunities for social interaction to help combat isolation and loneliness.
Leeds City Council: Establishing ‘care experienced’ as a protected characteristic
Leeds City Council recognises care experience as a locally protected characteristic, making sure that people who have been in care are treated fairly. This means the council will think about the needs of these people when making decisions, aligning Leeds with 57 other councils supporting this group alongside those with formal protected characteristics.
North West Leicestershire City Council: Wellbeing roadshow – connecting people with services
This annual roadshow in Leicester offers the local community the opportunity to come together and access vital services that promote healthier and happier lives. This free event features stalls offering information about services for all ages; free health checks and vaccinations to support wellbeing; expert advice and support on physical and mental health; carers’ needs; education and employment; and activities and services tailored for children and young people.
Warrington Borough Council: Community in Mind
Community in Mind is a collaborative film featuring community groups, organisations and charities that are part of the Warrington in Mind alliance. This film aims to highlight and celebrate some of the amazing people and groups supporting residents’ mental wellbeing.
Worcestershire County Council: Mental health first strategy – no health without mental health
The “No health without mental health” concept is a key principle in Worcestershire’s Joint Local Health and Wellbeing Strategy, emphasising that good mental health is essential for overall health and wellbeing. This strategy, developed through public consultation, prioritises collective action to improve mental health and prevent ill-health in the county.
Children and young people
Children and young people initiatives
Brighton & Hove City Council: Counselling in secondary schools
A citywide school-based counselling pilot for Year 9 students in Brighton & Hove secondary schools provides additional support to young people who have difficulty accessing learning due to their mental health. The school counselling pilot aims to improve mental health support in schools and will run until August 2025, alongside the Schools Mental Health Service. The pilot will be fully evaluated by the British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP).
Brighton & Hove City Council: Free swimming
Brighton & Hove City Council and NHS Brighton & Hove fund free swimming for children and young people aged up to 18 who live or attend school locally. Access is available at three city pools as well as Saltdean Lido during summer months.
Havant Council: Real impact, real value: Securing a better future for young people
An economic impact assessment on successfully creating employment opportunities for young people. explores how councils can successfully create employment opportunities for young people and shares insights into initiatives that have made positive impact locally and nationally.
Leeds City Council: Child-friendly built environments
Leeds City Council has highlighted that today’s children play less independently than previous generations, which can affect their mental health, physical fitness, and sense of community. To address this, the council aims to create safe opportunities for play at home, on doorsteps, in streets, and community spaces. Leeds is also the first local authority in England to carry out a full Play Sufficiency Assessment, evaluating how well the built environment supports children’s play.
London Borough of Barnet: Children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing strategy
Barnet Council launched a new strategy on World Mental Health Day designed to promote the mental wellbeing of children and young people. The strategy was created following consultation and engagement with residents, youth and parent groups and using insights from national and local data. It outlines key actions and commitments aimed at supporting people and families affected by mental health difficulties and fostering environments where mental wellbeing is prioritised and understood.
Wandsworth Council: Mobile youth centre
The Wandsworth Youth Bus is a weekly service for children and young people, visiting locations across the borough. Equipped with music production, sports, and recording gear, it offers a fun and social space for young people. The bus also provides support around emotional wellbeing, skills and employment, and sexual health, making it a valuable and engaging resource in the community.
Environment, green spaces and transport
Environment, green spaces and transport initiatives
Cornwall Council: Encouraging adults to choose ‘active travel’
Cornwall Council is one of 13 authorities delivering a new scheme aimed at encouraging adults to choose ‘active travel’. Active travel means getting from A to B in a more physically active way, like walking, cycling, and ‘wheeling’ (using a wheelchair). The scheme gets people involved through social prescribing, which sees people connected to activities, groups, and services in their community to boost their health and wellbeing. They can also be referred by health care professionals, such as GPs.
East Suffolk Council: Grow for it! Residents encouraged to grow their own
East Suffolk Council’s Field to Fork initiative distributed 1,900 free growing kits to residents, complete with compost pellets, seeds, and access to Groundwork East’s GROW Programme. A small grant scheme also opened up, offering up to £2,000 for community food-growing projects.
Greater London: Healthy Streets
Healthy Streets for London sets out how the Mayor of London and Transport for London will help residents in the capital to use their cars less and walk, cycle and use public transport more. It outlines some practical steps for Londoners to help improve air quality, reduce congestion and make London’s diverse communities greener, healthier and more attractive places to live, work, play and do business.
Leeds City Council: Child-friendly built environments
Leeds City Council has highlighted that today’s children play less independently than previous generations, which can affect their mental health, physical fitness, and sense of community. To address this, the council aims to create safe opportunities for play at home, on doorsteps, in streets, and community spaces. Leeds is also the first local authority in England to carry out a full Play Sufficiency Assessment, evaluating how well the built environment supports children’s play.
West Suffolk Council: Air quality action plan agreement to tackle village pollution
West Suffolk has revised its Air Quality Action Plan for the area, to try to prevent increases in traffic over the next five years which could lead to pollution levels exceeding the targets.
Housing
Housing initiatives
City of London: Planning advice notice
City of London Corporation have produced a Planning Advice Note (PAN) which advises developers and architects on how to mitigate suicide risk in high-rise locations and embeds prevention measures into development proposals and planning applications.
Norwich City Council: Rough sleeping strategy
Norwich City Council’s Rough Sleeping Strategy aims to prevent and reduce rough sleeping by focusing on addressing root causes, supporting recovery, and improving system efficiency. Norwich offers nearly 600 supported accommodation beds and prioritises personalised support alongside housing for homeless residents.
Diet and lifestyle
Diet and lifestyle initiatives
Knowsley Council: Restricting unhealthy food advertising
Knowsley Council has implemented a Healthier Food Advertising Policy to restrict the promotion of unhealthy food and drinks on council-owned advertising spaces. This policy, which is the first of its kind in the North West of England, uses the Nutrient Profiling Model to identify and restrict adverts for products high in fat, salt, and sugar. The council aims to create a healthier environment and encourage healthier choices by replacing these adverts with more nutritious alternatives.
Norfolk City Council: Stop Before 14
The Norfolk County Council is running a campaign called “Stop Before 14” to encourage residents to reduce their alcohol consumption to 14 units per week or less. The campaign uses posters, social media graphics, and a free online tool called Ready to Change to help people monitor and cut down on drinking. The campaign aims to reach people who may not realise the amount they are drinking and encourages them to consider making small changes.
Somerset Council: Think about your drink
Somerset Council have launched an app that helps you to think about your alcohol intake. The app aims to support people to give up drinking alcohol during Dry January, but can also be used to help identify patients who are hazardous drinkers or have active alcohol use disorders.
Walsall Council: Local Government Tobacco Control Declaration
Walsall Council has signed the Local Government Tobacco Control Declaration, reinforcing its commitment to tobacco control as part of mainstream public health efforts. Signed by key leaders in March 2024, the move aligns with Walsall’s 2023 – 2027 Tobacco Control Plan and national smokefree goals, promising tighter regulation, better cessation support, and enforcement.
Warwickshire County Council: Living Well to boost your health and wellbeing!
Warwickshire County Council’s Living Well website supports adults in enhancing their health and wellbeing by connecting people with services. It offers resources on staying active, eating well, mental stimulation, and building social connections. The site also provides guidance on mobility, accessibility, and tackling loneliness, aiming to help residents live healthier, happier, and more independent lives.
Physical health
Physical health initiatives
Brighton & Hove City Council: Free swimming
Brighton & Hove City Council and NHS Brighton & Hove fund free swimming for children and young people aged up to 18 who live or attend school locally. Access is available at three city pools as well as Saltdean Lido during summer months.
Warwickshire County Council: Living Well to boost your health and wellbeing!
Warwickshire County Council’s Living Well website supports adults in enhancing their health and wellbeing by connecting people with services. It offers resources on staying active, eating well, mental stimulation, and building social connections. The site also provides guidance on mobility, accessibility, and tackling loneliness, aiming to help residents live healthier, happier, and more independent lives.
Poverty
Poverty initiatives
Norwich City Council: Rough sleeping strategy
Norwich City Council’s Rough Sleeping Strategy aims to prevent and reduce rough sleeping by focusing on addressing root causes, supporting recovery, and improving system efficiency. Norwich offers nearly 600 supported accommodation beds and prioritises personalised support alongside housing for homeless residents.
Brighton & Hove City Council: Increasing secondary school choices for children eligible for free school meals
Brighton & Hove City Council has introduced a groundbreaking priority in secondary school admissions for pupils eligible for free school meals, starting September 2025. This policy aims to enhance access and choice for disadvantaged students by ensuring fairer distribution across local schools, backed by public consultation and support from the Sutton Trust.
Gender-specific services
Gender-specific service initiatives
East Suffolk Council: Lowestoft Men’s Shed
The Lowestoft Men’s Shed, which has grown in membership from 12 to 64 in just seven years, aims to promote men’s health – particularly for those who are retired, unemployed, or have health problems – through hobbies, recreational and leisure time occupations, including practical interests, skills sharing and helping with community-based projects.
Work and finances
Work and finances initiatives
South Cambridgeshire District Council: Four-day working week
South Cambridgeshire District Council has been trialling a four‑day working week (100% pay for 80% hours) since January 2023, maintaining full service days. Findings show increased productivity, reduced staff turnover and sickness, and cost savings – including £434,000 less spent on agency staff.
South Norfolk and Broadland District Council: Mind matters in Tibenham
Tibenham has become South Norfolk’s first “Mindful Village” after 20 residents completed a mental health awareness training programme. This initiative, part of the Mindful Towns and Villages project, aims to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health difficulties and equip residents with the skills to support their community. The training provides basic mental health education, guidance on starting conversations, and information about available support services, empowering individuals to become Wellbeing Champions.
Warwickshire County Council: Mandatory special needs training for council members
Warwickshire County Council has implemented mandatory SEND training for all councillors. The training was made mandatory to ensure a better understanding of SEND issues and improve the council’s relationship with the SEND community.
Mentally Healthier Councils Network
The Mentally Healthier Councils Network is a vibrant learning community which offers members training, resources and webinars on how to create better mental health at the local level. The Network is free to join and membership is open to council officers as well as elected councillors.
