We are very pleased to be sharing our Impact Report for 2024/25. Open Mental Health believes that no one should have to face mental health challenges alone, and this report shows what we can achieve when we truly work together as one team.
This isn’t about any one organisation—it’s about our alliance of local charities, the NHS, and Somerset Council all pulling in the same direction to support the people of Somerset. When we look back at the last year, we can see the real difference this partnership makes.
What We’ve Achieved Together
The numbers in this report tell a story of a community that’s looking out for one another. Last year, our alliance delivered over 80,000 mental health interventions—a collective effort that helped take the pressure off local hospitals. We saw a 35% drop in the number of days people spent in acute hospital beds for their mental health, saving the NHS approximately £6.1 million.
But while the numbers are important, it’s the human stories that really matter. In the report, you’ll find inspiring accounts from people across Somerset who have shared their personal recovery journeys. These stories remind us that, while the path can be difficult, support can make all the difference.
Leading the Way Nationally Toward Better Care
We are working collaboratively to implement the NHS 10-year plan and the Neighbourhood Health approach. The Hospital to Community and Sickness to Prevention goals are achieved by connecting people to wider public services and community support.
As Mark Arruda-Bunker, Service Group Director, Mental Health and Learning Disabilities, Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, says in the report, “The partnership embodies a ‘treatment to prevention’ shift that is absolutely fundamental to meeting the goals of the NHS 10-Year Plan, keeping care in the community where it belongs.”
The innovative way we work together here in Somerset is influencing other parts of the country too. Because our approach is making a real difference, more alliances like ours are starting up elsewhere, with our model supporting 24/7 Neighbourhood Mental Health Centres in Sheffield and Tower Hamlets. We are making sure to share all we have learned over the past five years so that everyone can benefit from our experiences.
We often travel to share our story at events across the country, and we welcomed visitors from the Department of Health and Social Care and guests all the way from Japan. It was a proud moment when our alliance won a prestigious HSJ award. It shows that by working together, we can create a way of caring that inspires and helps others.
Lived Experience at the Heart of Our Work
We believe that those who have walked the path themselves are the best people to help shape our services. Last year, our Experts by Experience—people who use their own history of mental health challenges to guide us—contributed a staggering 1,755 hours of their time. They ensure that everything we do is trauma-informed and remains focused on what people actually need.
A Few More Highlights from the Report
Over the last year, alliance partners have supported people across Somerset in many different ways, delivering more than 80,000 interventions to help those struggling with their mental health. Mindline Somerset answered 44,485 calls, including 3,040 urgent calls from people in immediate danger. At the same time, SWEDA has been helping an average of 75 people every month, with 83% of those they support feeling their thoughts and behaviours around eating disorders have improved.
Crisis Safe Space has been vital for many; half of the people who used it said they would have turned to the National Health Service otherwise, and 6% felt it prevented them from taking their own life.
Open Mental Health helped 23 people move back into community life through the Step Down service, which freed up 1,623 hospital bed days. Meanwhile, Step Up support helped an average of 15 people a month through a crisis, saving another 1,143 bed days.
8,900 people were supported through our small grants, helping to ensure that the right support was available at the right time, in a way that felt comfortable and close to home.
Spreading the Word
We’d love you to take a look at and share the full report. It’s a way of saying “thank you” to everyone who played a part and showing how, by working together, we are making Somerset a kinder place for our mental health.
