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Public Mental Health

The Covid-19 pandemic and the measures required to reduce the spread of the virus have placed enormous pressures and demands organisations across Suffolk.

In recognition of this the Suffolk Public Mental Health programme has been established. Supported by a £2.5million share of the Suffolk Covid-19 Outbreak Management Fund (COMF), and feeding into the Suffolk Health and Wellbeing Board, the programme aims to support and enable the protective factors of good mental health – the things that keep us mentally well in our day to day lives.

Funding is currently available to support the following areas of work:

1. Wellbeing, Measurement and PlanningSuffolk County Council and Suffolk Mind are embarking on an exciting project, to hear from people in Suffolk on how well they are meeting their emotional needs. This information will be used to inform actions, aimed at supporting those who need it most across the county. Complete the survey on the Suffolk Mind website.
2. Understanding of well-being and Development of the skills needed to support good Mental Health (workplace focus)

To raise awareness of what is needed for good mental health and to develop the skills required to underpin this across workplaces.

Work led by Suffolk’s Best Health at Work Partnership.

3. Targeted Support & Enablement

To enhance and develop current provision/community assets to match needs identified for specific groups, and ensure individuals are aware of what is available to support wellbeing.

Areas of work:

  • Poverty
  • Physical Activity
  • Children and Young People
  • Cost-of-living
  • COVID Memorialisation.
4. Universal Support and Enablement

To raise awareness of what is needed for good mental health and what is available to support it.

Campaigns:

  • 5 Ways to Wellbeing promotion (Schools and workplaces)
  • Suffolk Says Thanks
  • Stakeholder Conference on Sleep.
5. 10-year strategySupport longer term wellbeing/improvement in public mental health where wellbeing is considered across all policy areas.

Projects must align with the 12 Public Mental Health programme principles:

  1. Focusing on strengthening factors that promote wellbeing in Suffolk, incorporating action across public health and wider organisational strategies and plans
  2. Act as a catalyst to increase collective understanding and bring about longer-term cultural change, which will in turn normalise and lesson the stigma associated with mental health issues
  3. Be theory driven and informed by a clear logic model/evidence
  4. Include a response to the collective trauma experienced by residents over the last two years
  5. Expand and strengthen local assets, including building capacity and capability across workforces to promote good mental health
  6. Take proportionate action across the life course that balances population-wide mental health promotion with targeted support where need is greatest
  7. Outline how interventions can be sustained in the longer term
  8. Draw on people’s experiences to identify solutions that are acceptable to residents and promote equality
  9. Aim to understand barriers and enablers for change to engage and steer local system leaders from multiple disciplines
  10. Be deliverable within the stipulated time frame
  11. Utilise lever match funding and grants
  12. Measure and evaluate the impact of any interventions.