Case studies

Response are the largest third sector provider of mental health and wellbeing services tailored to young people in Oxfordshire. In partnership with six voluntary and community sector providers, Response came together to develop the Mental Wealth Academy.

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.

An element of drug and alcohol recovery support has been run from a community library since 2019 in Newcastle.

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.

Mid and South Essex residents who are newly diagnosed with depression can be referred to a ‘Wellbeing Calls’ service which provides additional support in the first few weeks after diagnosis. Delivered by two local voluntary sector partners, the service supported almost 700 people in the year 2022/23.

Working together with the Samaritan’s Media Advisory Service to monitor local media reporting of suicides and provide training local media organisations to develop postvention reporting as a means of prevention. This case study was done jointly with the National Suicide Prevention Alliance and forms part of our suicide prevention resource.

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.

The London Borough of Waltham Forest set up a social prescribing service five years ago. The team works with primary care in the NHS and community groups across the area to link people in with activities and support. Loneliness is one of the most common reasons for a referral. But thanks to the support being provided residents are being helped to learn new skills and take part in a variety of activities, reducing isolation in the process.

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.

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.