Connecting mental health care with communities

Healthwatch Islington undertook research on the impact of its Mental Health Partnerships Team, which worked alongside North London NHS Foundation Trust’s Islington Core Teams between January 2022 and July 2026. The team supported more than 7,750 residents, including providing community signposting and personalised support to 5,797 people, with a particular focus on connecting mental health care with community-based services and wider determinants of wellbeing. 

The report found that the team played a key role in helping people move safely from clinical mental health services into community support. Around 22% of cases involved support with discharge planning, while many others focused on accessing activities, exercise, social connection, digital inclusion and wellbeing support. The team attended multidisciplinary meetings, worked with over 60 voluntary and community organisations, and helped clinicians, GPs and social prescribers make better use of non-clinical support available locally. 

A major theme was reducing inequalities and reaching communities that may face barriers to accessing mental health services. The team delivered wellbeing sessions in trusted community settings, worked with migrant, faith and minority ethnic communities, supported neurodivergent residents, and ran initiatives such as the Boost Project for young people and a digital inclusion programme that provided laptops to residents with complex needs. Clinical and community partners reported that the team's work improved confidence, reduced isolation, strengthened recovery and increased access to support beyond traditional mental health services. 

The report concluded that the team provided a vital bridge between mental health services, primary care and the voluntary sector. Healthwatch Islington warned that this community-facing function could be lost as services move to a new provider and recommended retaining embedded community connector roles, protecting the focus on discharge, prevention and recovery, and maintaining strong links between clinical services, GPs, social prescribers and community organisations.