An analysis of the Thrive LDN community conversations
Poor mental health is one of the biggest challenges facing London and the prevalence of problems is often much higher in the communities facing most inequalities.
When people aren't given the chance to fulfil their potential and they don’t receive the right support at the right time, their health suffers, and they struggle to thrive. London loses out.
To address this, the Mental Health Foundation, in partnership with Thrive LDN, went out and asked Londoners how we could better support people to be mentally healthy.
We did this through 17 community conversations in half of all London’s boroughs, where we had face-to-face contact with over 1000 Londoners, including those who commission, provide and use services. We asked how we could deliver Thrive LDN’s six aspirations.
The solutions those Londoners came up with share common themes – namely, to spread knowledge, skills and support so that people can better look after themselves and their neighbours.
Londoners have told us they don’t want or need top-down fixes – instead, they want the tools and networks to do it for themselves. This report provides insights and feedback from each of the community conversations held.
Recommendations have been developed for all partners and supporters of Thrive LDN to consider. We would welcome your feedback and response to the ideas set out below.
Thrive LDN is a citywide movement to improve the mental health and wellbeing of all Londoners. It is supported by the Mayor of London and led by the London Health Board partners.
Two million Londoners experience some form of poor mental health every year and Londoners' life satisfaction and feelings of self-worth are lower than the national average.
Thrive LDN was established in response to this, with the aim of reducing the number of Londoners affected by poor mental health.
- A city where communities and individuals take the lead
- A city free from mental health stigma and discrimination
- A city that maximises the potential of children and young people
- A city with a happy, healthy and productive workforce
- A city with services that are there, when and where needed
- A zero suicide city
Recommendations based on what Londoners said
- Develop, train and support a network of community champions to tackle isolation, link people to each other and services and deliver community mental health training.
- Create, or add-on to, existing technological platforms, a way of effectively informing people about what support, activities and services are available in their community.
- Produce a guide linking and integrating London mental health and other services, like social care and housing support, to create a whole person approach.
- Support the development of non-clinical crisis and other wellbeing centres, like Mosaic Clubhouses and the Leeds Crisis House.
- Give parents, particularly those from under-privileged backgrounds, the skills and support they need to give their children the best start through peer-parenting groups.
- Create a mental health curriculum for schools that focuses on prevention rather than diagnosis of illness and that recognises the diversity of London's children.
- Invest in after-school clubs that support young people to look after their mental health, develop better decision-making processes and meet role models.
- Provide a toolkit and training for employers, enabling them to better support the mental health of London workers.
- Work in local communities to prevent isolation and build connections as a first step in suicide prevention.
- Encourage the 16 London boroughs and the City of London who have not yet had a community conversation to organise one.
Londoners did report
Watch highlights of our Thrive LDN tour
Mental Health Awareness Week
Mental Health Awareness Week is an annual event where there is an opportunity for the whole of the UK to focus on achieving good mental health.
Programmes
Our programmes measure the different ways of preventing mental ill-health in communities and individuals across the UK.