We are delighted to announce that Rethink Mental Illness & North West London ICB has been officially named as the “Gold” winner of the Best Mental Health Partnership with the NHS at the HSJ Partnership Awards 2024.

The award recognises a dedication to improving healthcare and effective collaboration with the NHS.

The ceremony, held at Evolution London on Thursday 21 March, was an opportunity to celebrate the importance of positive partnerships and acknowledging how these underpin the future sustainability of the NHS.

Speaking about the partnership, providing a social response to suicide prevention using co-production, innovation and experts by experience at its core, the HSJ said: “Evidence suggests suicide prevention strategies must include a grassroots approach to decrease suicide rates.

“North West London Integrated Care Board and Rethink Mental Illness facilitated a social response to suicide prevention with co-production and experts by experience placed centrally.

“A grant distribution model and offer of suicide awareness training where collaboration, power sharing, and the dismantling of hierarchies have yielded fascinating results.

“Communities co-produced solutions for themselves where social support and connections led to a decrease in isolation, a sense of belonging, and a community safety net.”

Our team were thrilled to collect the award in front of representatives from the NHS, and both the private and third sector as well as key players from non-clinical backgrounds.

Lourdes Colclough, Head of Suicide Prevention at Rethink Mental Illness, said: “Winning this award means we can showcase our innovative work and share good practice which will encourage more Integrated Care Boards to work in a similar way, shifting power to local communities.

“This programme is a social response to suicide prevention and distributes grants to smaller voluntary and community sector groups who find it difficult to access funds.

“The programme addresses health inequalities using co-production and experts by experience, this award would give confidence to other ICBs and voluntary sector groups to work in a similar way tackling the complex and risk averse arena of suicide prevention. 

“It recognises often overlooked Experts by Experience involvement in the coproduction of all aspects of this programme from the suicide awareness training to the grant distribution.

“The award has amplified the voice of seldom heard groups who do not access traditional therapeutic services. This model is timely with the effects of the cost-of-living crisis looming, it is proof of concept evidencing a community led social response to suicide prevention works.”