HSJ award won by Lambeth’s Living Well Network Alliance culturally appropriate mental health service

HSJ award for Best Not for Profit Working in Partnership with the NHS 2023

Lambeth’s Culturally Appropriate Peer Support and Advocacy (CAPSA) service is the winner of the HSJ Partnership ‘Best Not for Profit Working in Partnership with the NHS’ 2023 award.

This award recognises the importance of Lambeth Together’s Living Well Network Alliance’s partnership working around the codesign of this service to address mental health inequalities.

Lambeth recognises the importance of culturally appropriate mental health services

CAPSA is a partnership between Black Thrive Lambeth and Lambeth Together’s Living Well Network Alliance which focuses on mental health in adults.

As a Black-led peer support and advocacy service it is co-designed by Black community members within Lambeth with lived experience of mental health services. Community, belonging and a shared sense of identity is at the centre of what this support and advocacy service offers.

Together’s Culturally Appropriate Peer Support and Advocacy service with giant HSJ letters at award ceremony

Lambeth’s CAPSA works with Lambeth’s Black communities

It works to raise awareness of service users’ and carers’ experiences of anti-Black racism and other forms of oppression faced by service users and staff.

CAPSA employs people from Lambeth’s Black communities with lived experience of mental health issues to work with and advocate (speak up) for those in need of support. These employees work and train with staff in our Living Well Centres and other Lambeth Together Alliance teams to improve our support available in Lambeth for people from Black communities.

The HSJ partnership judges said:

“This winning project is a perfect example of peer support with co-production at its best, done for the benefit of the communities. The value of the partnership is clear, promoting a non-medical approach.”

Dr Shola Apena Rogers, Interim Programme and Partnerships Manager (Adult Mental Health) at Black Thrive said:

“The HSJ Partnerships Award recognises the CAPSA team’s commitment to ensuring that Black people from all backgrounds receive the care and support they need in a way that is culturally appropriate and sensitive. The award also highlights the importance of culturally appropriate healthcare and the power of the right partnership, which centres around lived experience.”

More information on the Alliance, EDI and CAPSA

Find out more about the work of the Living Well Network Alliance supporting those experiencing mental illness or distress.

To find out more about what we as a partnership are doing to reduce health inequalities in Lambeth read about Lambeth Together Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) programme

Watch a video to learn more about the Black Thrive Lambeth CAPSA team

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