The 'Live It Well' strategy was developed by mental health commissioners at NHS Eastern and Coastal Kent, NHS Medway and NHS West Kent with their local authority colleagues at Kent County Council and Medway council, alongside the people who use services, family carers, health and social care professionals, and voluntary organisations. It covers the area served by the Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust (KMPT).
How it works
'Live it Well' was designed as a core strategy for KMPT and to strengthen understanding of the services available within all partner organisations. The strategy is designed to boost early intervention for mental illness, equipping people to manage in a self-directed way to prevent relapses over time, and addressing mental health needs in primary care by increasing access to psychological therapies. Priorities are also to provide training to staff and to maintain motivation within teams. NHS West Kent has conducted a community listening exercise to inform the development of the strategy.
What it has achieved
All participants have found having a joint strategy in place extremely valuable and 'Live it Well' has led to changes in the way individuals and organisations work in the area. The strategy encourages new ways of providing services, with voluntary sector organisations such as Rethink playing an important role in provision.
KMPT is committed to supporting innovative community services and has even supported its own ‘buddy’ scheme to become an independent social enterprise.
Further information
You can read this case study in full in our recent report ‘Public mental health and well-being – the local perspective’. This report is available to download in our publications library.
If you would like further information on our work on public mental health and well-being, please contact Nicola Stevenson, senior research and policy officer, at Nicola.stevenson@nhsconfed.org.