New model means working-age adult mental health users will get excellent service

A new delivery model for the Living Well Network Alliance has been agreed marking a key milestone in the Lambeth Together journey.

The emphasis of the new model has been to join up ways of working and services around those people who use them to ensure they get the best possible support available as and when they need it.

This integrated way of working across services will replace what was previously regarded as a fragmented system. This will minimise the number of assessments people have to go through and make it easier for all those who use or work with mental health services to quickly find the right support.

This new model will break down boundaries between teams whilst increasing the role played by voluntary and community providers. This will allow clinical and social care staff to focus more time on providing the elements of care they were professionally trained to do.

To support this new model, three new Living Well Centres are being created to host services and provide a base for integrated teams to work from.

The three Living Well Centres (LWCs) will cover the North, South West and South East of the Borough. To begin with they will be based in existing premises in 308 and 332 Brixton Road and, until the end of 2019, 380 Streatham High Road. Longer-term accommodation is currently being identified at Akerman Health Centre and Gracefield Gardens Health Centre.

The new model will start from September 2019, though changes for those using services will happen gradually to allow for a safe and smooth change.

People currently using services will be communicated to individually ahead of any changes that might affect them. Similarly, GPs and others working with the system will be communicated to separately.