Poor mental health affects millions of individuals and their families in many different ways. There is a lack of holistic support for mental health in communities that could prevent many problems from getting worse.

Living Well UK is a three-year programme funded by the National Lottery Community Fund to create new mental health support systems across the UK. Inspired by a model developed in Lambeth, South London, we aimed to develop more holistic, preventative and person-centred care that helps people improve their mental health in their community.

Read more about the programme here.

Journey

Building the design methodology and process:

To support each site in developing its version of a Living Well model, we co-produced a design methodology and process that would work for them.

Mobilising the multidisciplinary team:

We designed and delivered workshops at each site to engage people from different organisations, including primary and secondary care and the voluntary sector, to develop a shared purpose, explore the Living Well vision, and generate insights about what can be done similarly and differently.

Setting up ‘Living Well Design Teams’ to create new ways of working:

Encouraging collaborative leadership, we also worked closely with people with lived experience, carers, practitioners, clinicians and commissioners to co-design and co-produce solutions together. They were called ‘Living Well Design Teams’.

Demonstrating and training Service Design, Co-design and Co-production:

I was responsible for leading the design process in Salford and Luton, working collaboratively with their multidisciplinary ‘Design Teams’ and ‘Extended Design Teams’. We supported the team in adapting the Service Design approach into their practice. Some of the activities include:

• Having conversations with those with lived experience to understand their current experience as well as aspirations & strengths

• Co-designing ideas with those with lived experience, exploring what the ‘ideal journeys’ through the system look like

• Developing service principles, values, features and functions, and ways of working

• Prototyping different aspects of their service model and approach

We also facilitated learnings across sites and listened to a diverse range of people to ensure that system change is built out of the voice of lived experience.