Case studies

Local authorities and clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) across London have set up an online platform to provide help and support to people with mental health problems.

Bringing together a large and diverse group of stakeholders to understand the challenges posed by their particular site and draw up a community action plan. This case study was done jointly with the National Suicide Prevention Alliance and forms part of our suicide prevention resource.

Working across nine councils and with Samaritans to improve media reporting through hosting a high profile suicide prevention event. Council collaborative comprised of the nine councils across Cheshire and Merseyside: Sefton, Knowsley, St Helens, Liverpool, Wirral, Cheshire East, Cheshire West and Chester, Halton and Warrington councils. This case study was done jointly with the National Suicide Prevention Alliance and forms part of our suicide prevention resource.

Working with local community groups and partners to offer a range of services for men outside of the clinical setting. This case study was done jointly with the National Suicide Prevention Alliance and forms part of our suicide prevention resource.

Creating a suicide awareness campaign aimed and young people through their own voices. This case study was done jointly with the National Suicide Prevention Alliance and forms part of our suicide prevention resource.

The Our Way Leeds service was established in July 2020 to develop a citywide service for young people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. It provides counselling, supported accommodation, pre-tenancy support and crisis intervention to young people, with a focus on mental health and wellbeing.

Calderdale Council has set up a programme to tackle loneliness that is based in local communities – there are separate locality teams. Workers are employed to support local activities and groups and connect people referred into the programme with opportunities that suit them. One of the major strengths of the programme is that it is driven by local people who know their communities the best.

Leeds City Council has commissioned its 37 neighbourhood networks to help tackle social isolation and loneliness. They provide a range of support, which continued throughout the pandemic, helping hundreds of vulnerable and frail older people stay connected.

A Big Lottery funded programme aimed at tackling social isolation has been running in Middlesbrough for the past seven years. It has helped to fund a range of different activities across the borough for the over 50s. To help people access these activities, extra support has been put in place to make it easier for people to get out-and-about by working with public transport providers and businesses to create an age-friendly environment.

Norfolk has a well-established Healthy Libraries scheme that is having a significant impact on social isolation and loneliness. The library service runs a range of initiatives from singing and colouring groups to a reading project aimed at people who are housebound. They have played a vital role in keeping people living in the large rural county connected both before and during the pandemic.