How we can help
Innovation Unit has deep experience and skills in supporting places to achieve transformational change that improves outcomes for people with mental health needs so they can lead bigger, better lives.
Places approach us when they want to:
Create a person-centred, outcomes focused system
Create genuinely collaborative systems
that make best use of all resources (not just financial)
Transform practice of teams and organisations
to offer person centred,
holistic support
Grow new
provider networks
that enable organisations to work seamlessly together
Enable Community
Mental Health Teams
to integrate with
the wider system
Create a
learning system
that can innovate in the interests of people
We are passionate about improving community mental health and we want to work with places who are committed to genuinely improving outcomes for people, and making significant strides in designing a system that achieves this. Below are some different ways that Innovation Unit might be able to help you.
We are happy to work with integrated care systems, mental health trusts, voluntary and community sector organisations and local authorities to identify how we can help in transforming your mental health system.
Building on community mental health transformation
Growing tightly
bonded groups
of system leaders able to steward the work and support your staff to
achieve change
Creating shared
culture and practice
in multidisciplinary teams
Integrating Community Mental Health Teams
with a wider network of staff members to provide open access community based support
Creating provider
networks
that allow partners to work seamlessly together
Growing collaborative spaces
that enable communities
to look after the health of
their local systems
Codifying the model
that you are rolling out
Creating a person centred outcomes framework
To improve outcomes
for people and staff
We can help you with specific areas of focus or we can build a bespoke offer towards whole system transformation.
Over the last three years, places around the UK have been implementing bold new visions for person centred, holistic, community based care and support to achieve the Community Mental Health Framework that improves outcomes
for people.
We know that work to implement this vision takes time and effort. Many places have started this work, and have achieved great results, but know that there is much more to do to create a whole system that embraces to a shared, values and ways of working.
Your system might have moved into a new structure but needs further work to grow person centred holistic practice. Or you might have achieved this, but want to go further in your work to offer open access community based support or grow new integrated governance
and leadership.
You might approach us if you want support in:
Creating an
authorising environment
creating and authorising environment for collaboration, learning and development
Embedding a
learning culture
Developing a strong sense of shared team identity and purpose
Improving staff well-being, satisfaction and retention
Creating a transparent
and collaborative
way of working
In our work we prioritise growing local ownership and activating and building upon local expertise. We use a coaching approach to allow teams to build confidence and enhance their own practice and development capabilities.
We can work with new teams in the process of being created or existing teams that want to improve their practice and culture. We can also help to develop shared practice across multiple teams and organisations.
How we worked with our Living Well UK sites
You can learn about how we supported Edinburgh, Luton, Salford and Tameside & Glossop in the Living Well UK programme (2018-22).
Improving practice
All across England new local multidisciplinary teams are being created to provide person centred offers, blending medical, psychological and social models of mental health support.
Building a strong integrated team that is able to work cohesively can be difficult, since colleagues from the statutory sectors, professionals from the voluntary and community organisations and peer workers are likely to bring different and sometimes opposing experiences, principles and behaviours. Without attention to developing shared culture and practice, we risk re-creating siloed working.
You might approach us if you want support with: