Case studies

The London Mental Digital Wellbeing Service enables Londoners to assess their own mental health, get information about how to look after their own wellbeing, access support, and connect with others - including mental health professionals. PHEBI applied an underpinning behaviour change framework, used low cost interventions to optimise the flow of users to and through the digital space, and advised on the selection and offer of apps for wellbeing support – all based on existing theory and evidence.

The 22 May 2018 marked one year on from the devastating Manchester Arena bombing which killed 22 people and changed countless lives, and the city, forever. Jen Green, director of strategic communications at Manchester City Council, reflects on how Manchester came together to remember those tragic events and honour the city’s powerful community spirit. The Manchester Together memorial programme was awarded a bronze award at the 2018 public service communications excellence awards.

Mental health problems can impact anybody at any stage of their life. Many people are scared to open up about mental health issues but Hertfordshire Council and partner agencies from across the county made it their mission to help change this. They wanted to raise awareness and normalise speaking out about mental health, particularly among boys and young men. Jen Beer, children and young people’s health improvement lead for public health at Hertfordshire County Council, tells us how their campaign to get people to ‘Just Talk’ won a bronze public service communications excellence award.

East Sussex County Council worked with key partners to reduce the manual handling of data and to target families more effectively through its innovative use of digital technology.

Bracknell Forest Council has built on its involvement with the national Self Care Week by running a Year of Self Care and then setting up a community-wide network of clubs and groups that is seeing thousands of local people taking part in activities and looking after their health and wellbeing. This forms part of our resource on self care.

Leeds City Council and the local NHS have adopted the House of Care model as a framework for developing self care. Health and care professionals have been given training and patients are being empowered with the skills and confidence to self-manage their own health. This forms part of our resource on self care.

The council and local NHS have identified social prescribing as a key priority in terms of encouraging self care. They are working with the Richmond Group of Charities and local partners to spread social prescribing equitably and sustainably across the county. This forms part of our resource on self care.

Self Care Week has been running across Bradford and Craven for a number of years. Last year the council’s public health team and three clinical commissioning groups introduced a new campaign: the Make One Change Challenge. It inspired thousands to start taking action This forms part of our resource on self care.

The NHS and county council in Lincolnshire have worked with partners to use social media and the local press to get the message out there about the importance of self care. It has helped reach thousands of local people. This forms part of our resource on self care.

In Cheshire, two CCGs and the council have worked together to engage the wider local community in self care by recruiting a network of champions and setting up a Self Care Award to entice employers to get involved. This case study forms part of our self care resource.