Councils are being offered fresh support to help improve their residents’ wellbeing by national experts at Centre for Mental Health.
The Mentally Healthier Councils Network, funded by the Health Foundation, will invite councils, councillors, officers and those who work with them to access resources, training, and opportunities to share best practice and create new partnerships.
Centre for Mental Health hosted the Local Government Mental Health Challenge for a decade, recruiting over 100 councillor champions who were supported to boost mental health services, improve active travel and access to green space, and design initiatives to tackle poverty and discrimination.
As the Centre embarks on this new initiative, we’re also now welcoming council officers as well as elected members to join and share best practice.
Andy Bell, interim chief executive at Centre for Mental Health, said:
“We are delighted to work even more deeply with local government which is so important to people’s mental health. While health and care services are vital, they only affect about 20% of people’s health outcomes. Most of what keeps people well, like access to decent jobs, housing, social support, green space, exercise, education, and healthy food are heavily influenced by councils who we aim to support more effectively through the Network.
“Through the Mentally Healthier Councils Network, we will support local authorities across the country to take steps to promote mental health equality. We will provide tailored information, events and advice so that every council can draw on the best evidence of what will support better mental health in their local area.”
Learn more about the network or sign up to receive news about it
