1516-835 Direct Action Project

Current status / Background

Islington has a significantly higher level of mental health need amongst adults and children than London and England, and there are considerable inequalities in mental health within the borough. Much of this ill-health begins in childhood: half of all lifetime mental health problems have developed by the age of 14. Children whose parent/s experience mental health conditions are more at-risk than their counterparts. Prevention and early access to appropriate services are crucial to prevent mental ill-health.

Public understanding of mental health, of mental ill-health and of support services is often limited and is accompanied by myth and stigma. These factors prevent individuals and communities from promoting mental wellbeing, self-help and accessing the services they need early enough to prevent poor outcomes later on. This is particularly true among certain, distinct communities, which reinforces the inequalities observed in mental health outcomes across the population.

Improving mental health and wellbeing and ensuring every child has the best start in life are two of the three priorities in the Islington Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2013-2016. Promoting positive mental health and well being is a strategic priority for Islington and a core element of the Islington Transformation Plan For Children and Young People’s Mental Health and Wellbeing 2015-2020. Prevention, early identification and intervention across all children’s and young people’s health services, from conception to adulthood, is one of the six guiding principles of this strategy.

The requirement

We are seeking organisations with relevant experience in providing the Direct Action Project which aims to tackle the issues described above. This service has been running since 2012 and is now being recommissioned.