Swindon Mental Health Alliance

(SMHA)

About 

 

The Swindon Mental Health Alliance (SMHA) is a partnership of Swindon-based community, voluntary, and charity sector organisations that provide support for people in Swindon experiencing mental health needs – ranging from mild to severe – across the wider determinants of health.

Alliance members work collaboratively to ensure that services and funding remain local. We aim to ensure that all existing and emerging services are informed, driven, and shaped by local people and local needs.

The Alliance acts as a conduit to support the NHS England (NHSE) aim of integrating Swindon’s Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector into the strategic planning and operational delivery of mental health services. We collaborate with individuals accessing services, carers, NHS partners (AWP and GWH), the Local Authority (Swindon Borough Council), Primary Care Networks (PCNs), and NHS Integrated Care Alliance (ICA) and Integrated Care Board (ICB) partners to co-design and deliver integrated, locally informed, and joined-up pathways between services.

Each partner is jointly accountable for positively influencing whole communities through an agile, values-led, and recovery-focused approach. We harness community intelligence to build a broad understanding of mental health needs and work collaboratively – within the Alliance or alongside other local partners – to meet those needs.

The Alliance values and respects the unique contributions of every member, regardless of organisational size or scope. We are committed to working across Swindon, with the flexibility to collaborate more widely when needed.

Alliance Aims

Alliance members will work together with the aim of supporting services and funding to remain local, ensuring that any existing or emerging services are informed, driven and motivated by local need.

Be a conduit to support the NHSE ask to integrate Swindon based Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector into strategic planning and operational delivery of mental health support across Swindon.  We will work with our NHS partners – AWP and GWH, Local Authority Partner Swindon Borough Council, the ICB, Primary Care Networks (PCNs) and people accessing services and carers, to support integration, locally informed, co-designed and joined up pathways between services.

Our Values

The Alliance has developed a Charter of collaborative working, which outlines the shared values, shared responsibilities, and principles of collaborative working that partners sign up to.

Shared Values – Alliance partners commit to a values-led approach to collaborative working.  The core values of the Alliance are:

Listening, valuing difference, respect, honesty, reciprocity; ensuring all voices are heard, being aspirational but not competitive.

Shared Responsibility – Alliance partners commit to equal and shared responsibility for the discharge of Alliance business activity and are jointly and equally accountable for the delivery of output and outcomes, progressing opportunities, and accountable for our behaviours and actions as a values-led alliance.

Co-Designed

Integrated

Holistic

Flexible

How we work with the Swindon community

1. We will actively seek to be inclusive and representative of the diverse communities of Swindon.

2. We promise to be accessible and learn how to enable culturally appropriate support to all people.

3. We will work collaboratively and transparently on partnership opportunities that benefit local need, providing growth and development of Swindon Mental Health Alliance services.

4. We will actively seek the views of people accessing services, carers and those with relevant lived experience, but not currently accessing services, to inform the Swindon Mental Health Alliance. We will do this through relevant networks and partnerships. This may involve:
a. current or past people accessing services and those experiencing barriers to accessing services to directly design projects,
b. lived experience data being recorded through Alliance partner services,
c. seeking information on specific topics and/or from certain communities,
d. using existing relevant research, and
e. any other creative ways to ensure voices are heard.

5. We believe that lived experience needs to shape and drive how services are designed and delivered. We will actively seek a range of data to co-produce and co-design in partnership with people accessing services, lived experience and carers to inform, shape and drive any new opportunities that benefit local need. This learning can also be used to support local strategic priorities to help really understand local needs and help address the root causes of mental health issues.

6. We will seek to positively influence whole communities around mental health by using the breadth of community intelligence available to create a broad understanding of needs. This is gathered in a variety of ways, including Alliance partner data, direct co-production and co-design with service users and carers, actively seeking intelligence and using existing research.

Our Partners

Harbour Project

The Harbour Project is dedicated to supporting asylum seekers and refugees in Swindon, providing a welcoming community and practical help to over 1,500 people. Through free advice, English and Maths classes, and wellbeing support, they promote personal development and resilience. Their mission is to ensure everyone has the opportunity for a fair hearing, a fair outcome, and a fair future in the UK – rebuilding lives through advice, hope, and humanity.

Changing Suits

Changing Suits empowers ethnically diverse communities by amplifying personal stories to break cultural barriers, foster healing, and drive systemic change. Through platforms like podcasts, peer support, and mentoring, we reduce inequalities within support services and ensure ethnically diverse communities receive the understanding and care they need.

IPSUM

Ipsum is a Swindon-based charity supporting mental health through creative arts, music, and talking therapies. With services for both adults and children, Ipsum focuses on helping those who are socially and financially disadvantaged express difficult emotions and feel connected through individual, group, and virtual sessions – 7 days a week.

Swindon Carers

Swindon Carers is a charity devoted to supporting and empowering unpaid carers, championing their rights, enhancing their wellbeing, and providing tailored services that address their unique needs.

TWIGS

TWIGS offers support to people experiencing mental health difficulties, many of whom are referred to us by other organisations. Through a range of horticultural, craft and art activities, they enable service users to develop and learn new skills, grow in confidence and make connections with others.

Voluntary Action Swindon (VAS)

VAS is the Council for Voluntary Service (CVS) in Swindon. They support other charities and coordinate voluntary activity in the local area.