Partnerships
We continue to operate in a complex external strategic environment and ensure that strategic delivery continues to take into account policy, system and partnership developments
There have been announcements of significant changes to how the NHS will operate, covering NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care, local ICSs and Provider Collaboratives, which will impact our future work in this area. At the time of writing, we await clarity on what this will mean.
However, we remain focused on the national priorities for mental health: improving access to both crisis and urgent care, and children’s and young people’s mental health services. We also fully support the three shifts outlined by the new Government, from hospital to community, from analogue to digital and from treatment to prevention. We can only deliver this work through c ollaborative working in this changing context, as we believe that we are stronger in addressing challenges and meeting the mental health needs of people locally if we work in partnership with others.
Our Integrated Care System (ICS)
During 2024/25, the Trust continued to work closely with partners within South West London Integrated Care System (SWL ICS). We play an important leadership role within the ICS with our leaders participating in ICS structures. Our Chief Executive sits on the Integrated Care Board as the partner member for Mental Health, our Chair is part of the Integrated Care Partnership.
We consolidated and renewed the work around mental health in South West London (SWL). We have continued to lead the SWL Mental Health Partnership Delivery Group (SWL MH PDG) with SWL ICB colleagues. Over the year we have broadened membership to include wider partners from our local authorities, Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprises (VCSEs) and to include patient and carer representatives. The group remains focused on strategic drive and oversight to improve mental health and wellbeing for SWL communities.
The South West London Mental Health Strategy: In May 2024, we formally launched London’s first ICS-wide Mental Health Strategy at the first South West London Mental Health Conference (see below). The Strategy is for everyone who lives, works and studies in South West London and covers all our six South West London boroughs. The strategy was created following engagement with patients, carers, our communities, staff and partners.
The strategy is organised into four themes:
1. Prevention and early support, including support for children, young people and families, health environments and, mental health literacy and reducing stigma;
2. Bio-psycho-social model, including physical health care for people with serious mental illness (SMI), neighbourhood teams and integration, complex needs and co-occurring issues;
3. Inequalities, including at risk communities and unwarranted variation, and
4. Timely access, including least restrictive care and recovery, waiting times, transitions and discharge.
The 2024/25 delivery plan concentrated on support for Children and Young People and enabling infrastructure for overall delivery. Over the last 12 months, there has been significant work to lay the foundations for change. Across South West London, we have worked to:
- Develop a ‘core offer’ for children and young people so that we have clarity on what can be expected regardless of where you live across the six SWL boroughs
- Improve the pathway from those transitioning from young people to adults
- Lay the foundation for future ‘core offer’ for Adult community services
- Progress the South London Listens work: supporting prevention, early access and reducing inequalities
The 2025/26 delivery plan for the Strategy has been agreed with additional support and capacity across partners. The SWL MH Partnership Delivery Group received the output of the 2024/25 delivery in March 2025 and good progress was noted.
South West London Mental Health Conference
The inaugural South West London Mental Health Conference took place in May 2024.
Sessions at the conference focussed on how we work in partnership to increase prevention and early support, reduce health inequalities and ensure timely access for those who need it.
Led by the SWL ICS and the Trust, the event brought together stakeholders, NHS staff, patients and carers to hear first-hand from mental health leaders and clinicians, voluntary sector partners, service users and carers about local mental health services and how we can all play a part in their future.
It was an inspiring day with insightful discussions, engaging workshops and energy and enthusiasm in taking forward our system's new strategy. Its success saw us holding the second conference in May 2025.
The South West London Mental Health Provider Collaborative: Work on the development of the South West London Mental Health Provider Collaborative was reset. Discussions are ongoing about principles and joint areas of work between the Trust and South London and the Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, with a memorandum of understanding developed to support ways of working.
Work between the SWL MHPC and the SWL VCSE Alliance remains an area of discussion to help us consider how to actively increase the VCSE voice in driving change forward around mental health across our system footprint.
South London Mental Health and Community Partnership (SLP)
The SLP has now been operating for 8 years and is an innovative collaboration between our Trust, Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust and SLaM.
By working at scale across the population of south London, we bring together clinical expertise and a greater understanding of people's experience of care. We apply this knowledge for the benefit of patients, carers and their families, with these benefits extending out into the community to reduce stigma, increase early intervention and improve the overall mental health of the people of South London.
This year we have focused on:
• Exploring how to best evolve our commissioning hub functions to support our programmes of work.
• Delivering our CAMHS, adult eating disorders, perinatal and secure care provider collaboratives and our complex care programme.
• Considering approaches around mental health rehabilitation as part of the Complex Care programme.
Performance against objectives
The table below describes how we have performed against our objectives, in terms of outcomes and metrics. We reviewed our delivery of this at the May 2025 Board.
|
Annual delivery plan 2: Partnerships Key outcome: To proactively develop partnerships and act as a system leader driving strategic improvements to mental health of the SWL population |
Year-end delivery rating |
|
Outcomes/ Metrics: · SWL MHPC formally in place |
Due to ongoing system-wide capacity constraints and ICB restructure, several milestones have moved to 25/26 and form part of our 25/26 plan. |