Our Services
Transforming our community mental health services
We’ve been transforming our community mental health services and in April last year, a phased approach was introduced to move away from Care Programme Approach (CPA) to Community Mental Health Framework (CMHF).
New service users entering secondary services are no longer under rigid CPA but enter the CMHF recommendations of personalised care based on need. Over time, more service users will enter this new individualised care based approach.
The Framework places community mental health services in the centre of the community - the central pillar of mental health care, allowing all other services in the mental health care system to function more effectively. A key aspect of effective mental health care is ensuring that all communities can maximise the support they provide to people who need it and therefore address local population needs.
More information can be found from the animation below, by visiting our website or email: CMH.TransformationTeam@merseycare.nhs.uk
Our Achievements
Freedom of Information (FOI) Team wins national award
NHS Informatics Merseyside’s Freedom of Information (FOI) Team, part of the Information Governance (IG) Service, has been named Team of the Year at the prestigious eCase FOI Awards, held in London.
The award recognises the team’s exceptional work in handling FOI requests, for both Mersey Care and NHS Informatics Merseyside, with efficiency, professionalism and dedication to transparency.
Leanne Harrison, Deputy Head of Information Governance (Secondary Care), said, “This is fantastic recognition of the consistent hard work, commitment and professionalism of our FOI Team and the challenges they have overcome.
“They consistently go above and beyond to ensure the highest standards of transparency and responsiveness and I’m so proud their contributions have been recognised.”
The Team, comprising Anne Massam, Hannah Smyth and Gio Cerisola, has maintained an outstanding 98 per cent compliance rate. They handle an average of 158 requests per quarter, often requiring detailed responses to complex requests from multiple service areas and systems.
The eCase FOI Awards celebrate excellence in Freedom of Information handling across the UK, recognising teams that demonstrate best practice in openness and accountability.
Young Carer’s award for Step Forward Psychology Service
Mersey Care’s Step Forward Psychology Service has become the first health care team in Liverpool to win the city’s Young Carer’s Award, set up to recognise the importance of collaborative working to identify and support young carers.
The team has been working alongside Barnardo’s Action with Young Carers and received an award that was set up to support the implementation of a template Memorandum of Understanding designed to improve joint working between adult and children's social care by the Carers Trust called ‘No Wrong Doors for Young Carers’ (NWD).
More information is available on the news section of the Trust’s website.
Northern Health Science Alliance credits Mersey Care women
Chief Executive Officer, Trish Bennett and Assistant Chief Executive, Alison Walshe have been placed in the Northern Health Science Alliance list of more than 400 women who are pushing the boundaries of innovation in their sectors.
The list, now in it’s seventh year, is published each year to mark International Women’s Day and provides an informal and supportive platform for women to be acknowledged and celebrated. More information can be found on their website.
Magnificent seven awards for apprentices
Our nursing apprentices and practice education facilitators have claimed an amazing seven awards at the annual Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) Health and Social Work Degree Apprenticeship awards.
The seven winners claimed their awards despite more than 100 nominations for the apprenticeship programme at the university, where apprentices spend 20 per cent of their time studying for their degree and the rest of the time in local health care settings. More information can be found in our news section.
Our Research
Widening participation in research through Count Me In
Mersey Care is aiming to inform more patients and service users about research opportunities that are relevant to them through a new system called Count Me In.
Since September, we have been spreading the word about Count Me In through a widespread communications campaign. Most recently, a new video was launched featuring NHS leaders, clinical staff and service users explaining how Count Me In will work and how it will help to improve care.
M-RIC teams up with Sefton CVS to promote mental health research on Time to Talk day
The Mental Health Research for Innovation Centre (M-RIC), which is a partnership between Mersey Care and the University of Liverpool, recently hosted a mental health research event with Sefton Council for Voluntary Service (CVS). Held on Time to Talk day, 6 February at the Lake House in Crosby, it brought together service users, carers, academics and voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise (VCFSE) organisations.
Discussions focused on how participation and collaboration in mental health research can be increased and VCFSE organisations in attendance were invited to apply for a Time to Talk Seed Funding Grant (up to £500). Read more about the event here or watch our short video here.
Cinema screening event celebrates M-RIC service user and carer representative involvement
M-RIC’s Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement team (PPIE) recently held a screening showcase with our service user and carer representatives (SUCRs) and public advisors at the Plaza Community Cinema in Crosby.
Scores of people attended the screening of the documentary film featuring interviews with SUCRs and public advisors speaking powerfully about their lived experiences, why they wanted to get involved in mental health research and their hopes for the future of M-RIC.
Terry Bryant, Service User and Carer Representative, commented that the films were, “A wonderful and moving display of the passion, commitment and value that SUCRs and public advisers bring to M-RIC.” More information is available on the M-RIC website.
Get Involved
Fundraising and power to change lives: From 10km to half marathon
As part of our ongoing campaign to highlight Mersey Cares’ fundraisers for our #MakeItMerseyCares series, we’d like to focus on our latest hero, Gareth Kinnair, a history teacher living in Merseyside.
Gareth wanted to give back to Mersey Care services to say thank you for the care a loved one received. He signed up for our dedicated charity, having no previous running experience, to the Mersey Tunnel 10k to raise funds for our services.
What began as a simple act of giving, blossomed into a new found passion for running that Gareth credits with 'changing his life'. You can read his story on the Mersey Cares website.
Can you join us for the Liverpool Cathedral Abseil?
Would you or your team like to take part in a unique fundraiser to support our charity? The Liverpool Cathedral Abseil 2025 takes place in July and offers the opportunity to abseil 150ft down the west door of one of Liverpool’s most iconic buildings, while taking in the sights and sounds of the city.
Your support will enable us to do amazing things to support our mental health and community services. The day is a lot of fun and comes highly recommended from those who did it last year. Be quick though as registrations close on 28 March.
Mersey Care’s Clinical Team Manager, Zoe Manley, recalled, “It was a great day, there was music and food and a lovely uplifting spirit around the event. I wanted to support the charity as I’m passionate about the Zero Suicide perfect care goal. I’ve also seen some of the staff wellbeing initiatives that have been funded through the charity, which are great.”
The event takes place on 19 July and the deadline for registrations is 28 March. More information can be found by emailing the charity on charity@merseycare.nhs.uk or signing up via the online registration page. This challenge is offered for a subsidised cost of £30 deposit, per person, at the time of registration to secure your place.
To find out information about other fundraising opportunities, please check out the charity’s website.
MC Magazine
Now available online - MC Magazine spring 2025 issue.
Read real life stories:
- Eyes open – spot the warning signs of county lines drugs gangs
- Diabetes – how to eat better to live well
- Count Me In – a mental health nurse explains why research is so valuable
- Mersey Cares’ – how fundraising challenges can change lives
- Flower power – why floral therapy is ‘bloomin’ marvellous’.
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