Mental Health Needs Assessments
Understand local need through data-informed analytics
We are specialists in unlocking data to drive improvement across services and work with local authorities, integrated care systems, integrated care boards, combined authorities and mental health service providers to help them understand local needs and how to meet them effectively.
We collaborate with our trusted partners at the Centre for Mental Health who provide evidence based advice on what has the best chance of making a difference to mental health, wellbeing and life chances, and how to get the best value from local commissioning. Their track record of pioneering new ways of working has consistently led to better outcomes, by embedding high quality research into policy, practice and local strategies.
“As a regional team, we have consistently prioritised initiatives that yield the greatest benefits to our systems, support their operational efforts, and ultimately enhance the well-being of the populations they serve. The collaborative methodology employed by NHS Benchmarking in data collection, report generation, and analysis presentation has been highly regarded across the region. This partnership has empowered our systems with superior data and insights, enabling informed decision-making, performance improvement, and enabled the delivery of exceptional care to their communities.”
Ursula James – Associate Mental Health Director – NHS England SW Mental Health Programme
By combining the Centre for Mental Health’s sector expertise and the Network’s powerful visualisation tools, we offer a data-driven foundation for your local mental health system. Drawing directly on data from NHS trusts and local services, as well as national data sets covering key indicators of health inequalities and system pressures, we can build an evidence-based understanding of needs in your local area.
NHSBN and CFMH can support your organisation or area with a data-informed Needs Assessment, Service Review, and strategic support to embed evidence into local strategies and pathways. Our teams can collaborate to:
Identify priorities for action based on local need, the evidence for the most effective approaches to meeting it, and the extent of existing provision
Engage commissioners, communities, and service providers to sense-check findings and assure their quality and relevance
Review all local and national documentation to ensure that local arrangements align with best practice and national policies
Design structures based on local resources with clear mechanisms for community and service user involvement in coproducing solutions to better meet need
Develop evidence-based, actionable recommendations for the ideal multi-sector governance structure for implementing and monitoring mental health strategies
Work alongside partners using a side-by-side consultancy model that offers responsive, brave and relevant thought leadership.