The BOND consortium is leading the field in sector led support for improving early intervention mental health services.
As part of our programme we will be testing new approaches and providing intensive support for voluntary and community sector organisations, commissioners and schools in 5 areas of England. This is the first of five pilots for the consortium and work started in April 2012 in Tees Valley.
Between September 2012 - September 2013 we will be working in Liverpool, Sefton and Knowsley, Cambridgeshire, Staffordshire and South West London.
During the pilots we will provide the participating commissioners and VCOs with the relevant support, tools and challenge to enable them to work together and improve outcomes for children and young people in their area.
Our approach will be to offer a bespoke package of support to the area. This will be agreed with all parties following a diagnostic phase in which we will identify the key areas where support and development is needed.
The first stage of the work will be to conduct a diagnostic process with commissioners and VCSOs to identify where support is most needed.
Representatives from the voluntary and community organisations and commissioners will be invited to take part in a joint commissioners and providers workshop on the to hear feedback from the diagnostic phase, agree on priorities and agree the bespoke package of support.
What overall results will the pilots lead to?
The pilots aim to increase the capacity of VCSOs to provide mental health support services. This will improve the quality and accessibility of local provision and lead to improved outcomes for local children and young people. The pilot programme will lead to:
- ‘Commission-ready’ VCSOs able to demonstrate outcomes, quality and specific service strengths
- Strengthened relationships between commissioners and VCSOs – with the potential for a joint approach to the future development of the local provider market
- Greater clarity about local commissioning priorities
- Greater awareness around and likelihood of commissioners purchasing services from VCSOs
- Greater choice and raised quality of provision for service users
- Strengthened leadership within the VCS to influence decision-making about service provision.
Further information
- Read more about what we did during our work in Tees Valley.
- Read more about the outcomes and impact of our work in Tees Valley.