Our Service Offer

Our approach is unique and one of our key values is openness. It is in our name and in the way we approach everything that we do.

We’re open minded about mental health and by that we mean all aspects of it – how it’s accessed, how its provided, the language that’s used, how our clients get the support and help they need and how we all work as one. We are also open minded about how we must develop and grow to meet the changing needs of individuals seeking our support.

We’re open minded about doing things differently – and about accepting that we won’t always get things right. We work in a way that is accepting of failure and views it as necessary to achieve real change – for the better – to learn and to grow.
For our clients and colleagues working in mental health across Somerset our door is always open. There are numerous routes to accessing our services and we have designed it that way to ensure nobody is ever turned away. When you connect with us you will be able to access a host of services.

We then all work together to tailor support packages that meet the needs of the individual.

We don’t ask for a clinical referral or evidence of severity of a condition and diagnosis and assessments are not pre-requisites to accessing support from us.

We want our colleagues working in healthcare and other supporting roles to know that they can come to the open mental health door – that it will be open and that through it they will be able to access a range of services to support the needs of their clients.

Language is more than a way of describing someone and their problems, it can isolate them and cause further distress, or it can allow them to feel seen, heard and supported and anything in between.
Challenging current language and culture is also key to our model. We are seeking to move away from traditional language around mental health and move to a dialogue which is open, non-stigmatising and natural. For example, we introduce people to other parts of the same system via a warm transfer, rather than ‘refer’ to another independent service that may or may not accept them.

We are working to move away from language like ‘discharge.’ We would say a person may progress to ‘managing independently’ – to their own individual level – within the ecosystem’ but they aren’t then ‘closed’ as such. This means they can easily come back at any time.

The purpose of this shift in language is to remove the ‘cliff edge’ from mental health support that many individuals describe as they come to the end of certain types of treatment.

Individuals using our services have told us that the word discharge has a sentiment of being very ‘final’ – if you’re discharged, you’re done with the service and shouldn’t need it again.

These language changes have been driven following input from individuals who have had and continue to have experience of using mental health support services.

Their input has helped us to understand the negative impact some language traditionally used makes them feel and we have worked with them to develop a dialogue designed to make everyone feel supported, connected and never alone.

Co-production means working collaboratively with Experts by Training, Experts by Experience and Experts by Experience Leaders to share decision-making power on service design and delivery.

Expert by Experience

Experts by Experience are individuals who have real-life experience of living with poor mental health, which we refer to as ‘lived experience’.

Expert by Training

Experts by Training are those working professionally within Open Mental Health who contribute based on their learned or trained experience in the sector. They have expertise in their practice areas such as knowledge of the whole system. We call this ‘learned experience’.

Expert by Experience Leaders

Expert by Experience Leaders are individuals who have chosen to use their lived experience to be an ‘ambassador’ for Open Mental Health.

They are involved in shared decision-making, represent the community, and champion the collective lived experience of those in Somerset to influence service transformation and the evolution of Open Mental Health.

Co-production and lived experience involvement is supported by the Open Mental Health Co-production team, who work with Expert by Experience Leaders to develop collective lived experience priorities. They also support and facilitate workshops, meetings and events with stakeholders so different perspectives can be discussed together, and shared strategic decision-making can occur.

This method of working is central to Open Mental Health, and crucial in enabling us to create a high standard of service that is reflective and appropriate for the needs of local people across the county. You can learn more about co-production and how we work together here.

We want our colleagues working in healthcare in Somerset to know that we exist to support you. So, when you are planning next steps for a person you are working with – think Open Mental Health.

As stated previously, you or the person you are working with simply need to find your way to us and be assured that we will be there to provide support – we pride ourselves on our “no wrong door” principle.

But we understand that you will want clarity of what help and support is available through Open Mental Health and know more about what we do and the specifics of the support available.

We have created a dedicated area for colleagues working in healthcare and supporting services on our website which is kept up to date with all the support and services available under the current Open Mental Health offer. This has been put in place to make sure you can always see what support is available as part of our offer.

Age UK
Citizens Advice Somerset
The Community Council for Somerset
Conquest
Diversity Voice
Fuse Performance
Love Community
Mind in Somerset
Minehead Eye
NHS Somerset
Rethink Mental Illness
Second Step
Somerset Activity and Sports Partnership
SWEDA
Somerset Council
Spark Somerset
The Balsalm Centre
WATCH CIC
Young Somerset

Open Mental Health (OMH) uses a locality model to ensure each individual gets the proper care for their mental health.  

The multidisciplinary locality teams in Taunton and West Somerset, Sedgemoor, Mendip, and South Somerset are vital contact points and examples of successful partnership working. 

The localities are at the centre of delivery; nexus points that draw together support from different organisations locally and in the wider mental health ecosystem—they are ‘one-stop shops’ for vital support access and information. 

People seeking support from OMH are introduced to one of our four partner-led locality teams, who help them determine which of our services best address their needs.  

This approach fits with the ‘no wrong door’ principle that OMH aspires to, respecting individual needs and identifying gaps, trends or themes that prompt the evolution of service delivery. 

The locality model ensures that people receive the necessary support when and where they need it. Through collaborative efforts, the teams help people find and engage with resources that will help them on their recovery journey. 

The collaborative nature of the teams means that a wide range of support skills are available, including specialised mental health services, housing support, guidance on debt and employment, peer support, community activities, and physical exercise. The aim is to provide comprehensive support that enhances overall wellbeing and quality of life