NEARLY £6m over the next five years is being committed by Hampshire County Council to supporting the expansion and development of the county’s network of community-based mental health wellbeing centres.

Jointly commissioned by the county council and Hampshire’s five clinical commissioning groups as part of an £8m contract with the voluntary sector, the wellbeing centres provide a range of services to support people with mental health problems.

Liz Fairhurst, the county council’s executive member for adult social care, said: “Fortunately, gone are the days when mental health issues were brushed under the carpet. We are seeing an increasing number of people of all ages who need support with their mental health, and the county council is committed to working with our partners in the NHS to ensure that mental health is afforded the same attention and priority as physical health.”

Mental health wellbeing centres act as a ‘one stop shop’ with a menu of services covering employment and housing, as well as a range of support to help people with both their physical health such as smoking cessation and improved levels of physical exercise, as well as their mental health.

People can self-refer or are referred by their local GP. The centres also support people with more serious mental health conditions, working in conjunction with the local County Council/NHS mental health team.

The centres currently operate in Winchester, Eastleigh, Romsey, Andover, Hythe, New Milton, Basingstoke, Fareham, Gosport, Havant and Aldershot. Several are located in shop fronted buildings based in town centre locations making them convenient for people to visit and travel to.

The wellbeing centres are currently provided by voluntary sector organisations with mental health expertise. Future plans include extending opening hours during evenings and weekends, developing closer working relationships with social care and NHS mental health specialist staff, and further developing the ‘one stop shop’ approach to cover other areas such as providing crisis support, and support for parents with mental health problems.