More people in Birmingham and Solihull accessing mental health services are being better supported in their local communities rather than in hospital thanks to an NHS and voluntary sector collaboration – this is the message coming from a new report, published by the Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise (VCFSE) Mental Health Collective – part of the Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health Learning Disabilities and Autism Provider Collaborative.

In a letter to stakeholders, Helen Wadley, Chair of the VCFSE, said:

“Through a commissioning approach focussed on shared outcomes (such as reducing admissions, length of stay and readmissions) rather than prescribing specific service models, organisations have been able to design more flexible, community-based support that better reflects people’s real lives.

The results are encouraging:

✅ Supporting people to leave hospital sooner when they are clinically ready, improving flow and freeing up inpatient capacity

✅ Reducing readmissions and relapse, through stronger follow-on support in the community

✅ Preventing escalation into crisis, with wider VCFSE services helping people earlier and reducing avoidable presentations to A&E

While this report focuses on two case studies, it also reflects a broader shift, demonstrating that when community organisations are trusted, and when we work in genuine partnership across sectors, we can both improve outcomes for individuals and deliver tangible benefits for the wider system.

At its heart, this is about delivering on a shared ambition that will resonate across all our sectors: supporting people in the right place, at the right time, and reducing reliance on hospital-based care wherever possible.”

Read the full report here: VCFSE Inpatient Funding and the Impact We Have Made