The Durham Mental Wellbeing Alliance was commissioned by Durham County Council in April 2021. It brings together a group of organisations that offer different types of support with a wide variety of issues that can impact someone’s mental health and wellbeing, including: housing, outreach, relationship problems, and healthy living. Through the Alliance, people can make referrals to multiple services through a single form, making access to support easier.
Aim, vision, mission and values.
Our aim: to build resilience, supporting people to thrive.
Our vision: to connect communities, drive innovation and empower people.
Our mission: to work together to improve mental health and wellbeing across County Durham.
Our values:
Empowerment – we will help people to be more confident and resilient.
Accountability – together we share responsibility for delivering the best possible mental health services in Durham.
Connection – we’re connected with each other, service users and with local communities.
Innovation – we’ll change the way we work and transform our services.
Alliance Partners
Creative Support
Creative Support is a not-for-profit organisation promoting the independence, inclusion and wellbeing of people with care and support needs.
Home Group
Home Group is a social enterprise that supports some of the most vulnerable in society, including people with mental and physical health issues.
If U Care Share
If U Care Share Foundation provides bespoke practical and emotional support to those impacted by suicide in County Durham.
Mental Health Matters
Mental Health Matters (MHM) is a national charity with over 35 years of experience in delivering high-quality mental health and social care services.
St Margaret’s Centre
St Margaret’s Centre (SMC) is a community hub for adults in County Durham who need support with their mental health.
Within the Alliance SMC provides activities, social groups, training, and structured volunteering to help people build self-confidence, learn new skills, and meet new friends.
Waddington Street Centre
Waddington Street Centre (WSC) is a mental health charity based in Durham City.
Within the Alliance, Waddington Street Centre (or Waddy to our friends) provides a place-based service supporting recovery from mental illness through social groups, education and physical/sports activities.
Waythrough
Waythrough is a national mental health charity Making Recovery Reality for thousands of people every year.
Subcontractors
Aspire
Cruse is a Personal Development Service for Women – offering women a range of educational, vocational, social and preventative services including counselling, advocacy, befriending and drop in facilities. The service operates as a drop in – venue based group/peer support with no appointment required and an open door policy.
Cruse
Cruse is a Bereavement Support Service, providing support to those that have suffered bereavement. Through the provision of advice, information counselling delivered by trained volunteers. To also raise the awareness of the needs of bereaved people and promote their interests.
PACT House
PACT House offers a drop-in service providing Group Based support services to support and promote recovery and positive emotional wellbeing. Counselling sessions are available to individuals referred by a social worker/care coordinator.
Relate
Relate provides a Relationship Support service across County Durham which aims to improve relationship skills and support individuals and groups to improve their relationships across a range of topic areas including psycho-sexual therapy.
Welfare Rights
Welfare Rights delivers a specialist and client-centred welfare rights advice service providing people with a mental health need with support around tribunals, mandatory reconsiderations and assessment support.
Supported Accommodation
Supporting people to reach their full potential and take control over their own lives to enable them in their recovery, lessening the impact of mental health issues to live independently.
Physical Activities
Promoting health and wellbeing through participation in physical activity. This can be walking, gardening, swimming and bike riding. All activities are devised in coproduction with our service users.
Support with Employment
Employment support to enable retention of employment for people struggling with their mental health, support to look into volunteering opportunities and finding vocational training, delivered on a 1-1 basis or in small groups.
Befriending
One-to-one and peer support to reduce isolation and support links to activities within the community. To increase confidence and build self-esteem with the use of recovery focused goals to be able to move on independently.
Vocational & Educational Activities
Training and Educational Programmes: A variety of courses provided in community venues or provider subcontractor buildings. Courses range from leisure, vocational, credited and non-accredited.
Mental Health Hospital Discharge Service
The service is available to any Co Durham resident who is an inpatient on acute mental health, PICU or rehab wards in Lanchester Road Hospital and West Park Hospital. The team support patients and the wards to ensure timely bed flow and prevent bed blocking. The support offered is to obtain and maintain accommodation, money management/maximising income, social inclusion in their local communities. During their stay in hospital and following discharge, the team work closely with the ward staff and other supporting agencies to promote social and mental wellbeing with a view to prevent readmission to hospital.
Suicide Postvention Support
Person centred, practical and emotional one-to-one support for those bereaved or affected by suicide (face to face in community venues and home visits/ virtual, dependent on needs). (For Suicide Prevention Service please check If U Care Share Website).
Peer Support
Group based support services for service users, using their own experiences to help each other.
Drop-in Service
Group support offered across County Durham in a variety of local community venues or provider buildings. Groups offer courses and activities that reduce social isolation, promote wellbeing and encourage participation.
Relationship Support
Counselling for adult relationships (couples), adult individual Service Users, families, children, and young people. Support including but not limited to, Psychosexual Therapy Reducing Parental Conflict interventions, Mentalisation, Parenting When Separated.
Bereavement
Bereavement support via specialist trained bereavement volunteers. The Service includes, but is not limited to advice, support, information and leaflets as well as telephone/zoom support, face-to-face support and drop in dependent on Service User’s needs.
Women Only Activities
Welcoming safe space to learn, socialise and gain confidence. Courses, support and wellbeing services both online and from a women-only centre.
Floating support
Floating Support: Providing structured and outcome focused support, with person centred goals developed with each individual on a one-to-one basis. Including help to manage mental health conditions and develop techniques to support recovery, and support to attend appointments. Providing guidance and emotional support, promoting confidence and improved self-esteem.
In partnership with
