Working together to create consistent mental health signposting information for adults in Sussex

The Mental Health Services Communications Working Group (MHSCWG) is excited to share their recent co-produced project, aimed at improving mental health signposting information for adults across Sussex.

Why update mental health signposting information?

In Sussex, multiple organisations provide mental health services, but the abundance of information can be conflicting, confusing and unclear. People often struggle to identify the right type of support, which makes lists of services unhelpful, without proper accompanying guidance. This confusion can delay timely help, leading to more people experiencing a mental health crisis and/or being admitted to hospital. 

By updating and clarifying mental health signposting, we aim to simplify navigation, ensuring that people can easily find the appropriate support for them.

About the MHSCWG

Improving mental health information has been a long-standing issue and challenge shared by organisations across Sussex. Starting as a conversation between two colleagues in Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, the project has evolved into a Sussex-wide multi-agency collaboration involving the NHS, primary care, VCSE (Voluntary, Community, and Social Enterprise), local authorities, and people with lived experience.

By bringing together representatives from various sectors and people with lived experience, the group leverages a wealth of insights to make meaningful impacts in helping people access mental health support. Formed in 2023, the group was supported by the Mental Health, Disabilities and Autism (MHLDA) Board, with Martin Dominy, VCSE Mental Health Transformation Lead for East Sussex and Brighton & Hove, appointed as Chair.

Getting to work

The group’s first task was to commission independent research to understand the scale of the issue. Feedback from providers and service users highlighted barriers such as unclear online information and a lack of understanding about necessary support. The insights from this research were invaluable in guiding our future work.

In response to the findings, two task and finish groups were formed to focus on public-facing communications and engagement with primary care and other professionals who regularly signpost people to mental health support. A year-long program of work with clear deliverables was developed, with Chairs appointed for each group and regular meetings scheduled. These action-oriented meetings ensured we maintained a tight timeline.

After several months of dedicated work, the updated co-produced signposting information was finalised in early July. Designed to help people find the right support based on their feelings rather than the system’s structure, the information is now being adopted by organisations and providers across Sussex. A toolkit to support providers in updating their websites with this new information has also been developed and shared.

Highlights

Collaboration: The project has benefited from the willingness and engagement of group members who have dedicated their time and skills generously.

Co-production: Collaboration with groups such as the Sussex Co-production and Lived Experience (SCALE) Network, Working Together Groups, and LEAGs (Lived Experience Advisory Groups) ensured the work remained grounded in reality and authenticity and could genuinely help those people who need it.

Challenges and learnings

Time management: Balancing the project with existing work commitments was challenging, but task-sharing and collaboration supported this to happen.

Scale of the project: Consolidating a wide range of information without missing meaningful services was a significant task; we’re really proud of the Group’s collective contributions in enabling us to achieve this.

Diverse perspectives: Differing views were managed through strong relationships and mutual respect, enabling productive discussions.

What’s next?

Now that the signposting toolkit has been launched, we will continue to monitor and check that the updated content is being used by providers', and evaluating its impact. In the coming months we intend to extend this model further to create co-designed, consistent and clear signposting information for children and young people/parent carers in Sussex, that can be shared across all local websites in the same way. A group to drive forward this work is currently being set up.

In September, we will be engaging with colleagues in primary care, including GPs, and other professionals, to ensure that they feel supported in signposting people to the relevant mental health and wellbeing resources that are available in their area. And to further build on the improved signposting that has been developed, the group is also developing a Sussex-wide campaign to help reinforce the messaging of where people should go when they are seeking support for their mental health. This is expected to go live in the autumn.

Ongoing, the group will continue to explore how it can collaborate together on other pieces of work and projects to support the best interests of our local communities. We will also be revisiting one of the recommendations highlighted in the insights which was to develop a central online space for mental health information, to hopefully make it even simpler for people to find the support they need.

Thank you once again for everybody’s support to helping to create consistent mental health signposting information; we look forward to seeing the positive impact it has across Sussex.

The Mental Health Services Communications Working Group

If you have any questions about this work, would like to find out more, or to receive a copy of the partner toolkit, please contact communitytransformation@spft.nhs.uk.