Local Sussex support provider wins national mental health award

Non-profit support, care and housing provider, Southdown, took home the ‘Most Innovative Mental Health Intervention' award at The Mental Health Awards 2023 in recognition for its partnership-driven and recovery-focused community mental health services across Sussex.
By Alice ClementsContributor
Published 6th Nov 2023, 16:51 BST
Updated 6th Nov 2023, 16:52 BST

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At an awards ceremony in London on the 2 November, the local support provider excelled in an outstanding group of national shortlisted organisations.

Celebrating exceptional and inspirational stories from across the UK and internationally, the Awards were hosted by The Mental Health Tick, an independent accreditation scheme for successful mental health aware organisations. Charlie Condou, British actor, columnist and LGBT rights activist, was on hand to present the awards.

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Neil Blanchard, Chief Executive at Southdown, says: “I am so proud of our team at Southdown and our working relationship with the Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and local authority commissioners that enable us to provide a range of support to help people facing mental health challenges recover, stay well and prevent crisis. Over the past year, we’ve significantly grown the community mental health services we deliver, doubling the number of people we supported in 2022-23 to 9,459.

L-R: Southdown employees with Neil Blanchard, Southdown's Chief Executive & Charlie Condou, actor.u L-R: Southdown employees with Neil Blanchard, Southdown's Chief Executive & Charlie Condou, actor.u
L-R: Southdown employees with Neil Blanchard, Southdown's Chief Executive & Charlie Condou, actor.u

“The recent development of our Staying Well crisis prevention service in Brighton & Hove is a great example of how the voluntary sector is being innovative and piloting new ways of working with the NHS to enable people to access the right support, in the right place at the right time. Since October, Staying Well changed to a walk-in service and has an on-site NHS clinician to support people who feel at breaking point and in need of urgent help. This means that people can get help and support with their mental health without first needing to make an appointment and without having to attend A&E.”

Neil added, “I’m thrilled that mental health crisis prevention support such as our Staying Well service has been recognised and celebrated on the national stage; a real testament to the value of partnership working and recovery-focused support to improving access and reducing pressures on A&E. Following the success of the development of our Brighton and Hove Staying Well service, we plan to roll out the development to our other Staying Well services in Eastbourne and St Leonards next year.”

If you or anybody you know needs mental health support, visit Southdown’s website here: www.southdown.org/how-we-help/mental-health-and-employment-support.

Related topics:SussexSouthdown