We are pleased to announce that our Families team will be supporting the mental health of people across communities in Redbridge thanks to funding from Redbridge Council.
This support will take several forms, including a presence at key engagement hubs in the borough, a programme of group activities to promote social and emotional wellbeing, and one-to-one support from our trained team of Community Support Workers assisted by local volunteers.
With this new programme, we’re planning to directly support over 120 people each year over the next three years.
Recent reports estimate that 1 in 6 adults in Redbridge—over 35,000 people—live with a common mental health disorder, such as depression or anxiety. This is just part of a growing national issue, where around one third of all young adults have reported symptoms of a mental health disorder. And mental health needs both affect and are affected by a range of other factors meaning that it is never enough to simply address one issue at a time.
Our service in Redbridge will be open to any adult (18 years and above) with a diagnosable mental health condition. Our team will be coordinating directly with local GPs, statutory health and care services, and local voluntary and community organisations to spread awareness of the support available and to act as referral routes for those in need. We’ll also be accepting self and lay referral from members of the community as well as from other LifeLine initiatives already running in the borough.
A common thread at LifeLine is that we don’t believe in a “one-size-fits-all” approach—everyone that we offer support to requires their own unique and person-centred approach. New referrals will be assessed by a member of our team and will be involved in developing their own care plan based on their needs. Redbridge is also a markedly diverse borough, so we’ll be drawing on a wide pool of local volunteers to ensure that we’re able to connect with anyone, regardless of gender, ethnicity, faith, or language.
