NHS and charity link ups to improve mental health support are being hindered by short term, insecure contracts and a funding system that forces charities to compete against each other, a report is warning.

The report is calling for more partnerships between NHS organisations and local charities and community groups to provide “effective and equitable support for people living with mental illness”.

But it warns that such local alliances are being undermined by a funding system that is too short-term and forces charities to compete against each other.

Link ups are particularly needed to ensure the needs of “overlooked or poorly met” people, including those from LGBTQ+ and racialised communities, according to the report, which has been published by the Centre for Mental Health and based on a three-year evaluation of existing partnerships created by the charity Rethink.

It found “that these alliances enabled services to be designed alongside people with experience of mental health problems. This makes the service more effective and more accessible”.

“Bringing these organisations together in local alliances can offer more coordinated care and stop people from ‘falling through the cracks’ of support,” it said.

However, it added that “partnership working within the voluntary and community sector is too often undermined by a system that forces voluntary and community organisations to compete for short-term contracts to survive”.

Being called for is “sustainable financial backing” to “ensure the success of local alliances”, with the report adding “working to overcome mistrust and centring the voices of people with lived experience are also critical”.

Centre for Mental Health chief executive Andy Bell said: “Voluntary and community sector organisations are more widely trusted by people with mental health difficulties who have had bad experiences with a range of statutory services.

“But they are hampered by insecure contracts, short-term funding and bureaucratic processes that stop them fulfilling their potential. Rethink’s leadership in supporting local alliances shows the potential of this way of working to provide a sustainable footing for collaboration that meets people’s needs in the places and communities we all live in.”

The report looked at work of local mental health alliances in Coventry and Warwickshire, North East Lincolnshire, Sheffield and Tower Hamlets in London.

“Collaboration is essential for the future of mental healthcare, said Rethink Mental Illness chief executive Mark Winstanley.

“Working in partnership, we can ensure that more people receive effective care when they need it.

“Services must be designed with input from those with lived experience to ensure they best meet their needs, striving for greater equity so no one is left behind.

"This evaluation also highlights the valuable role of the voluntary sector, and we hope the pioneering efforts in the trailblazing regions can be expanded nationwide.”

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