Southampton mental health and wellbeing strategy

This is a strategy for the whole city

It was developed with our partners across the city, including people with lived experience of poor mental health and those who support them. It reflects our shared priorities and the aspirations of services that support mental health and wellbeing in Southampton.

Our shared vision is that people in Southampton have good mental health and wellbeing, whatever their background or the circumstances in which they live. This strategy describes our approach to achieving this vision. It outlines the actions that we will take together to address the needs of our residents and communities.

This strategy does not contain all the details about how we will achieve our ambitions. These will be in an accompanying action plan. To facilitate a city-wide approach to this strategy we are setting up a multi-agency, Southampton Mental Health and Wellbeing Partnership. This will complement our existing Southampton Suicide Prevention Partnership.

Our actions align to six priority areas

1. There is a positive culture that promotes mental health and wellbeing in Southampton.
2. We have greater focus on the areas of people’s lives that impact their mental health and wellbeing.
3. People in Southampton get support for their mental health and wellbeing when they need it.
4. Everyone has the opportunity to have positive mental health and wellbeing and is able to benefit from support that is right for them.
5. Children and young people get the best start in life for their mental health and wellbeing and families are supported.
6. Working together to prevent suicide and self-harm, and support those who are impacted.

Mental health and wellbeing are not just about the absence of mental illness

It is about our feelings and emotions, our social connections, connections with the world around us, and our ability to live the lives we want to live. Mental health and wellbeing are fundamental to everything we do. In Southampton we are taking a positive approach to mental health. We are focusing on the importance of mental wellbeing for people to live a fulfilling and productive life within their families and communities. This strategy is for everyone.

Everyone has ups and downs in their lives at different times. Emotions and challenges form a part of the human experience. Life is particularly hard at the moment for a lot of people. The pandemic, the cost of living and other national and global challenges have impacted our mental health and wellbeing. As well as creating environments that promote wellbeing, it is essential that support is provided when people are struggling with their mental health. Mental health services are crucially important for people with mental illness or crisis, but this strategy is not only about these services. It focuses on preventing poor mental health and promoting wellbeing, looking at all the different things that are important for mental health and wellbeing.

There are many things that affect mental health and wellbeing, both negatively (risk factors) and positively (protective factors). Through the prevention of risk factors and promotion of protective factors we hope to improve mental health and wellbeing in Southampton.

Although this strategy is not about specific mental health disorders or conditions, it is relevant to people who have mental health illnesses like depression, anxiety, schizophrenia or bipolar, a condition like dementia, a learning disability, who have a drug or alcohol issues or who are neurodiverse. It is important that this strategy considers everyone’s mental health and wellbeing. We know that everyone, including those who are living with other diagnoses, disabilities or difficulties, can benefit.

We are in challenging financial times, and we know that services are under pressure. However, there is amazing work going on across Southampton that we need to celebrate and build on. Community groups, libraries, mosques, gurdwaras, synagogues, churches, temples, coffee mornings, sports teams (and so much more) are all supporting mental health and wellbeing of people in Southampton.

This is an ambitious strategy that reflects the importance of mental health and wellbeing across nearly every area of our lives. It outlines how partners across Southampton will work together to promote mental health and wellbeing and reduce inequalities. This strategy reflects the ambitions around mental health and wellbeing of the whole city. The responsibility for making these ambitions happen is a shared one.

Our shared vision is that

People in Southampton will have good mental health and wellbeing, whatever their background or the circumstances in which they live.

Our approach to achieving this

We will:

• Ensure “parity of esteem” where mental health is valued the same as physical health and gets the same recognition and support that physical health does.
• Work together in partnership to promote good mental health and wellbeing.
• Recognise that different challenges and life events, at different stages of life, impact mental health and wellbeing.
• Recognise the value of our voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations as equal partners in preventing mental health problems and promoting wellbeing.
• Focus on prevention and early intervention of mental health illness, escalation and crisis and celebrate lived experience and recovery to help others.
• Recognise the impact of trauma on mental health and wellbeing and take a Trauma Informed Practice approach to all our work and services.
• Use the evidence base to inform our decisions.

Our underlying principles

There are some principles that underpin this strategy and the work that we will do together to improve the mental health and wellbeing of people in Southampton:

• Everyone should be understood, respected and supported and everyone’s mental health will be valued (to create a Mental Health Friendly City).
• We will ‘be human’ and show kindness and compassion to those around us and those we are supporting.
• Language will be used that demonstrates the respect, value and kindness that every resident of Southampton deserves. We acknowledge that the language we use matters and is ever-changing, and we will be kind and patient when people don’t always get it “right”.
• People with lived experience will be involved and included in all our decisions on mental health and suicide prevention.
• Inequalities will be reduced by providing intervention and support according to need.
• Mental, physical and social health are interwoven and need to be valued equally and considered together.
• Stigma around mental health and suicide will be challenged.
• Suicide prevention is everyone’s business.

Our commitments that include mental health and wellbeing in Southampton

Trauma Informed Practice

In Southampton we are committed to the delivery of Trauma Informed Practice. This means that we recognise that trauma can affect individuals, groups and communities and that exposure to trauma can impact an individual’s neurological, biological, psychological and social development. Our approach works to increase awareness within services of how trauma can impact on individuals, groups and communities. This can include their ability to feel safe and develop trusting relationships with health, care and education services. We hope that taking this approach will make it easier for people who have experienced trauma to get the help they need.

Prevention Concordat

We have shown our commitment to cross-sector action to improve the mental health and wellbeing of residents by our intention to sign the Prevention Concordat for Better Mental Health (OHID). This reflects our chosen focus on:

• The wider determinants for mental health and wellbeing, including protective and risk factors and reducing health inequalities.
• A prevention-focused approach to improving the public’s mental health.
• Evidence-based planning and commissioning to increase the impact on reducing health inequalities.

Mental health and wellbeing in Southampton

Poor mental health affects a lot of people. Data taken from Southampton Data Observatory show that nearly a fifth (18.7%) of people over 16 years old in Southampton have a common mental health problem and 1.13% of registered patients have a diagnosis of severe mental illness. Both figures are higher than the average in England. “Common mental health problems” means conditions like anxiety and depression. “Severe” or “serious” mental illness means conditions like bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia. Anxiety and depression can still significantly impact some people. When asked about their mental health, nearly a quarter of adults in Southampton report high anxiety and 10% report low happiness. When children and young people in Southampton were surveyed, only 51% said they are happy with their mental health.

Wider determinants of mental health and wellbeing

There are many areas of people’s lives that affect their mental health and wellbeing. These include social, economic, and physical environments in which they live at different times. Southampton has a high prevalence of risk factors for poor mental health and wellbeing:

• Deprivation: Southampton is ranked 55th most deprived out of 317 local authorities in England, where 1 is the most deprived.
• Low income and financial insecurity: In 2019, 13.5% of Southampton residents lived in an area experiencing deprivation relating to low income, this is higher than the English average of 12.9%.
• Child poverty: In 2021/22, 25% of children in Southampton aged under 16 were living in relative low-income families, significantly higher than the national average (23.8%).
  Housing: 6.2% of houses in Southampton are overcrowded, significantly higher than national average (4.8%).
• Educational attainment: Average attainment 8 scores (at GCSE) in Southampton are worse than England overall and significantly worse for children in care and children eligible for free school meals.
• Preparation for employment: 6% of Southampton’s 16-17yr olds are either not in education, employment or training or their activity is not known. This is significantly worse than the national average (4.7%).
• Adverse Childhood Experiences: 363 per 10,000 children in Southampton are supported by Children’s Services due to abuse or neglect, significantly worse than England average.
• Physical health conditions: 16% of Southampton’s population have a long-term health problem or disability.
• Social isolation and loneliness: 36.7% of Southampton’s over 65yr olds live alone, this is higher than the national average. Although living alone does not necessarily mean someone is lonely, a 2016 residents survey found 30,000 residents said they feel lonely in their daily lives.

Southampton residents also benefits from some protective factors for mental health and wellbeing:

• Employment: Rates of employment in Southampton are similar to the England average (74.3% in Southampton and 75.4% in England).
• Access to green space and the Natural Environment: 95% of the city have access to green space of at least 2 hectares (just under the size of five football pitches), within 5 minutes walking time. However, access to green space is not experienced equally across the city, some areas have far less.

Inequalities in mental health and wellbeing

There is inequality in the conditions in which people in Southampton live. This results in inequalities in mental health and wellbeing. People with poor mental health are more likely to experience other health inequalities. For example, people with severe mental illnesses in England on average die 15-20 years earlier than the general population.

There are some people and communities in Southampton that we know are at higher risk of poor mental health and wellbeing:

• Ethnic minorities: People from ethnic minority groups have higher rates of diagnosis of mental illness, delays in support until crisis situations, hospital admissions due to mental illness, poor treatment outcomes and disengagement from mental health services.
• Children in care and care leavers: Nationally, half of children in care meet the criteria for a mental health disorder.
• People who identify as LGBTIQ+: Nationally, half of LGBTIQ+ people experience depression, three in five experience anxiety, one in eight LGBTIQ+ people (aged 18 to 24) had attempted to end their life and almost half of trans people had thought about taking their life.
• Carers: Carers are twice as likely to have a long term physical or mental health condition. Furthermore, only 30% of adult carers in Southampton get as much social contact as they would like.
• Young carers: Nationally, 60% young carers feel their caring role has affected their emotional wellbeing. Their caring role can be associated with stress, anxiety, low self-esteem, missing school, not participating in activities, and a lack of social connections.
• Neurodiversity: 1 in 7 people in the UK are neurodivergent and neurodivergent people have a higher risk of poorer mental health and suicide. An estimated 70% of people who are on the autistic spectrum have a co-occurring mental health condition.
• Co-occurring conditions: Nearly two thirds of people entering drug and alcohol treatment programmes have mental health needs.
• Social care users: Half of all adult social care users in Southampton have depression or anxiety.
• Homeless households and rough sleepers: In Southampton 10.4 per 1,000 households are assessed as being homeless. 45% of people experiencing homelessness have been diagnosed with a mental health issue. This rises to 8 out of 10 people who are sleeping rough.
• Domestic abuse victims/survivors: Nationally, people who are survivors of domestic abuse are three times more likely to develop a serious mental illness, and twice as likely to have already experienced some form of mental illness.
• Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: People who are Gypsy, Roma and Travellers have higher rates of depression and anxiety and are at higher risk of suicide.

Suicide and self-harm

The rate of suicide in Southampton has decreased over recent years and is now similar to the England average (9.5 per 100,000 in Southampton). There are approximately 21 deaths by suicide each year in Southampton. Every death is an avoidable tragedy and the impact of each death is huge, with estimates of 60 to 135 people affected by each one. Three quarters of deaths by suicide are in males and one quarter in females.

Self-harm is a concern in its own right, as well as being a risk factor for suicide. Local hospital admissions for self-harm in 10-24 year olds are significantly higher in Southampton than the national average (689 vs 550 per 100,000).

Our mental health and wellbeing is impacted by our surroundings and our social connections

 Therefore, it’s important that our city promotes and protects the mental health and wellbeing of everyone.

We know that stigma, discrimination and racism have harmful effects on mental and physical health through the trauma they cause. We also know that stigma and discrimination against people with mental health problems can have a big impact and create further inequalities through bodily stress responses, poor access to mental and physical healthcare, dying earlier, exclusion from education and employment, increased risk of contact with the criminal justice system, victimisation, poverty and homelessness.

A city that promotes mental health and wellbeing needs to recognise and overcome stigma, discrimination, racism and promote inclusivity for everyone. It needs to celebrate the city and communities within it and the mental health of people who live and work here.

While developing this strategy, we heard from people with lived experience that the societal pressures and the traumas that they experience have the greatest impact on their mental health. We heard about people’s experiences of visiting services where they felt like there was “something wrong with them” for not fitting into societal norms or that they “needed to be fixed”. Individuals feel isolated and we recognise that the city needs to take a more holistic approach.

There is a positive culture and environment that promotes mental health and wellbeing in Southampton

Everyone should have the right to live healthy lives and have positive mental health

However, inequalities in some of the basic building blocks of life such as education, good employment, housing, and health mean this is not the case. It’s these same building blocks that are impacted by poverty. A focus on these factors means doing things like improving people’s opportunity to stay in education, find opportunities for work, and have adequate housing. These are things that we know are important for mental health and wellbeing.

We also need to focus on protective factors like physical activity and social connections. Building social networks is incredibly important for daily wellbeing and for protecting against the impacts of challenges when they arise.

We heard from people with lived experience that there needs to be a focus on loneliness and isolation and that, for lots of people, loneliness and isolation are the biggest trigger in why their wellbeing declines. We heard that a positive social circle of supportive, trustworthy and honest people that recognise you as who you are is a protective factor that improves mental health and wellbeing.

While developing this strategy we also heard that people with poor mental health do not always know where to get financial support and sometimes have additional needs to get into employment.

We have greater focus on the areas of people’s lives that impact their mental health and wellbeing

This strategy strives to promote mental wellbeing and to prevent poor mental health in everyone

However, there will be times when support is needed, and people should be able to access appropriate levels of support at the right time. This should include support in the community as well as specialist support if needed. We need to continue to support the creation of connections between people and the organisations that support mental health and wellbeing.

While developing this strategy we heard from people with lived experience about the importance of peer support and community groups/projects and how they have positively impacted the mental health and wellbeing of people with lived experience. We also heard how difficult it is to find appropriate support and that there is a lack of understanding of when the “right time” is to seek support. There needs to more accessible information about mental health support across the city.

People in Southampton get support for their mental health and wellbeing when they need it

There are inequalities in mental health and wellbeing

Many of these are linked to other challenges a person might be facing, whether that’s physical health problems, neurodiversity, disability, addiction or discrimination. Not everyone is able to get the help they need, and we must work towards overcoming barriers they face. We need to think about the whole person and all their needs. We need to recognise that people are complex and diverse and that a “one-size fits all” approach won’t work.

We know that people who experience long term physical conditions are more likely to have poor mental health and wellbeing. We also know that people experiencing poor mental health are more likely to have poor physical health leading to worse outcomes. It is therefore important that the physical health of people with mental health problems is properly supported.

This strategy does not include preventing dementia as a disease because this is included in cardiovascular disease prevention. However, dementia can be associated with poor mental health, and people with dementia may benefit from the same mental health and wellbeing support as others.

While developing this strategy we heard from people with lived experience that some ethnicities and cultures have felt left behind or missed from previous plans or strategies. We were told that people with learning difficulties and neurodiversity require appropriate support. We also heard from some people that their mental health is not taken seriously because of their addictions so a stronger understanding of mental health with addiction is needed.

Everyone has the opportunity to have positive mental health and wellbeing and is able to benefit from support that is right for them

Putting in the ingredients for positive mental health and wellbeing needs to start in the early years

We know that half of mental health problems are established by age 14 and three quarters by age 24. We also know that the mental health of parents and carers has a significant impact on children and young people’s current and future mental health and life chances. Supporting the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people through their families, communities and education settings is essential.

While developing this strategy we heard from people with lived experience that there needs to be better connection with schools about awareness of mental health and wellbeing support. We were told that tools and resources, such as peer support groups in schools, are needed to help support young people to look after each other’s wellbeing. We also heard that support is needed for the parents or carers of young people who have poor mental health.

Children and young people get the best start in life for their mental health and wellbeing and families are supported

Deaths from suicide are tragic and have a devastating effect on families, friends, and communities

Suicide prevention refers to the collective efforts needed to reduce these deaths, recognising that each death is often the endpoint in a complex history of events and risk factors. Much of the prevention for suicide at a population level will be the same as prevention for poor mental health, such as reducing isolation, unemployment and the impact of trauma, taking a holistic approach. However, preventing deaths by suicide also requires more specific action based on who we know is at risk and what we know works. From national and local data, we know that risk factors for suicide include:

• Men, particularly middle-aged men (and also younger males).
• People experiencing mental health problems.
• People experiencing relationship difficulties, unemployment, financial difficulties, physical health problems, housing difficulties and/or social isolation.
• Bereavement, especially bereavement by suicide.
• People with previous attempts of suicide.
• People with adverse childhood experiences including sexual abuse
• People with co-occurring drug and/or alcohol use and mental health problems.
• People formerly convicted of a crime.
• People who have experienced abuse (either as victims or witnesses).
• People experiencing isolation from others.
• People who have been diagnosed with a terminal or chronic illness.
• People experiencing bullying.
• People who are neurodivergent.
• People who identify as LGBTIQIA+.

While developing this strategy we heard from people with lived experience that stigma and the language used about suicide needs to be addressed. We also heard that support services for those experiencing suicidal thoughts need to more accessible and that support for those bereaved by suicide should be widely available. People with lived experience shared concerns about young people and the harms of social media, calling for further interventions for online safety. We also heard that we need to talk more with parents and schools about suicide and self-harm, and the support that is available to them.

Working together to prevent suicide and self-harm and support those who are impacted

Next steps

Further details about how we will achieve the ambitions within this strategy will be described in an action plan. A multi-agency Mental Health and Wellbeing Partnership will be established to coordinate and oversee the delivery of this action plan and strategy, complementing our existing Suicide Prevention Partnership. In addition to regular oversight by these partnerships, progress will be reviewed and reported annually to the Health and Wellbeing Board. We will also share our learning and experience with stakeholders and nationally whenever possible.

Monitoring for this strategy

To demonstrate progress towards the delivery of this strategy and to monitor outcomes to inform future direction of work, a mental health and wellbeing outcome framework will be developed. We know that while outcome measures can provide a broad view of how well we are doing across the city on delivering this strategy, they rarely paint a complete picture. We will therefore also include feedback in the form of stories, case studies or feedback from people with lived/living experience, service users, and service providers where appropriate. The outcome measures will include:

Diagnosed mental health and suicide

Rates of mental illness provided by these measures do not necessarily indicate the true number of people with poor mental health, they reflect the number who have attended services (GP, A&E or hospital) needing help and have received a diagnosis that has been recorded on an NHS system. They may therefore only reflect a proportion of those with problems. It may be that, by working on reducing the stigma associated with mental health, more people come forward for help and these numbers increase.

• Percentage of adults diagnosed with depression.
• Percentage of adults diagnosed with severe mental illness.
• Rates of death by suicide.
• Hospital admissions as a result of self-harm (10-24 years).

Self-reported mental health and wellbeing

• Percentage of people (16+) with low happiness score.
• Percentage of people (16+) with high anxiety score.
• Young people wellbeing score on school survey (BeeWell).

Measures of impact on risk/protective factors

• Percentage of adult carers (18+) who have as much social contact as they would like.
• Percentage of adult carers (65+) who have as much social contact as they would like.
• Percentage of adult social care users who have as much social contact as they would like (18+ years).
• Percentage of adult social care users who have as much social contact as they would like (65+ years).
• Percentage of physically active adults (age 19+).
• Percentage of physically active young people (age 5-16).
• Number of people in alcohol and drug treatment.
• Percentage of school pupils (with SEN) with social emotional and mental health needs.
• Percentage of looked after children whose emotional wellbeing is a cause of concern.

Measures of impact on wider determinants

• Percentage of persistently absent pupils primary.
• Percentage of persistently absent pupils secondary.
• Average Attainment 8 score (GCSE).
• Percentage of 16 to 17 year olds not in education, employment or training (NEET) or whose activity is not known.
• Percentage of people aged 16 - 64 years in employment.

This is a collaborative strategy

This strategy was developed collaboratively with our partners across the city, including people with lived experience of poor mental health and/or suicide and those who have supported them. Southampton’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy reflects the priorities of residents with lived experiences and the aspirations of our partners and services across the city who support the mental health and wellbeing of Southampton.

Engagement with partner organisations across the city

We have talked to partner organisations across the city via a number of engagement workshops in the early stages of strategy development to determine the shared priorities of the city. During these sessions we spoke with service providers, the voluntary community sector, charities and the Southampton Mental Health Network. We worked with attendees to identify their shared priorities and commitments and began to map assets across the city to identify what is working well and what more may be required.

Engagement with key stakeholders within the Council

To emphasise a focus on the risk and protective factors of mental health we have talked to key individuals and services across the Council who can influence on the wider determinants of resident’s health. We have also spoken with key Boards and groups to develop priorities and ensure the voices of the residents they work to represent are heard.

Engagement with people with experience of mental health and suicide

In order to truly reflect the priorities of residents across the city, we have talked to people across the city who have lived experience of poor mental health and suicide. People with lived experience have shared their experiences to inform the development of the strategic priorities. This has been through engagement forums such as the initial workshops, peer support groups, young peoples’ participation groups and engagement sessions within care settings such as Natalie House. People with lived experience have also supported the development of the strategic vision, our approach and the principles identified in this strategy.

Use the following links to view these strategies

• Health and Wellbeing Strategy (2017-2025)
• Southampton City Council Corporate Plan (2022-2030)
• Children and Young People's Strategy (2022-2027)
• Southampton City Children and Young People's Emotional and Mental Health Wellbeing Plan – 2022 refresh
• Prevention and Early Intervention priorities (2022-27)
• Early Years priorities (2022-27)
• Children in our care: Our Corporate Parenting Plan (2022-2027)
• Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs Strategy 2023-2028
• Physical Activity and Sports ('We Can Be Active') Strategy (2022)
• Adult Carers Strategy 2021-26
• Young Carers Strategy 2021-26
• Domestic Abuse and Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy 2023-2028
• Homelessness Prevention Strategy (2018-2023)
• Cultural Strategy (2021-2031)
• CVD prevention local delivery action plan (awaited)
• Southampton Trauma Informed Practice Concordat Delivery Framework (awaited)

People with lived experience

Also called people with living experience or people with experience. These are people who either are or have been affected in some way by poor mental health or suicide in themselves or someone they are close to.

Wider determinants

These are the social, economic and environmental factors which impact on people's physical and mental health. They are like the building blocks of health. To create a healthy society that supports mental health and wellbeing we need the right building blocks in place like quality housing, good education and stable jobs. These will allow people to withstand the shocks and challenges of life.

Inequalities

Not everybody has the same amounts of money, power or resources in their lives because these are not fairly distributed across society. This means that some people face more challenges than others which impacts their physical, social and mental health.

Deprivation

In health and social care, deprivation usually refers to lacking income, employment, education, health, housing, or could relate to higher local crime levels, barriers to services, or quality of outside space. When the term poverty is used, it usually refers to low income.

LGBTQIA+

People who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex, or asexual (LGBTQIA+).

Trauma

Often defined as an experience that happens in a person's life resulting in physical, mental, or emotional harm. This can be a single event or series of events like being a victim of sexual or other abuse or can be due to a persons’ circumstances such as experiencing ongoing trauma from racism or discrimination or trauma from the stigma of having a mental health illness. All these causes of trauma can have negative impacts on physical, social and mental health.

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)

Highly stressful and potentially traumatic events or situations that occur in childhood and/or adolescence. These can include neglect as well as physical, sexual and emotional abuse.

Trauma Informed Practice

This is an approach that thinks about all the ways a person can have experienced trauma in their lives and how this can affect them physically, socially and mentally. If people in services are trained in this approach, they can help people recover from this trauma.

Systemic racism

Sometimes called Institutional racism. Policies and practices that exist throughout societies or organisations that result in and support a continued unfair advantage to some people, and a harmful and unfair treatment of others, based on race.

Community trauma

Also called collective trauma. It relates to a shared experience that affects a whole community rather than an individual. Examples are racism, slavery, forcible removal from a family or community, genocide or war.

Holistic

This is taking into account the whole person, both physically and mentally, and providing care and support for all their needs.

Early intervention

This means identifying and providing early support to people who may be at risk of poorer mental health and wellbeing. It can also mean providing support at an earlier age to mitigate the factors that could contribute to poor mental health and wellbeing later in life.

Real Time Surveillances (RTS)

This is a system for monitoring suspected deaths by suicide captured from police data in real time. This up-to-date information about suicide in our area helps to identify and implement support to prevent suicide in a timely manner.

Postvention

This refers to interventions provided for people who have been impacted by suicide. This aims to reduce risk of further deaths by suicide and also to help bereavement and healing. Postvention can be aimed at anyone who has been impacted by the death, including family, friends, work colleagues, communities, first responders etc.

Anchor Institutions

Anchor Institutions are large organisations that are unlikely to relocate and have a significant stake in local communities, effectively anchored in their surrounding areas. They usually employ a lot of people and have sizeable assets that can be used to support local community health and wellbeing, including tackling inequalities.

R;pple browser extension

This is a software tool that provides mental health resources to people who are searching for harmful online content relating to suicide and self-harm.

Data Observatory

Data included in this strategy can be found on the Southampton City Council Data Observatory.

Mental health support

If you need help with your mental health a list of local, national and online mental health support services and resources on our website.

If you, or someone you know, are experiencing an emotional crisis, phone Samaritans for free from any phone on 116 123.