Celebration event recognises success of the Devon Mental Health Alliance
More than 120 people came together to celebrate the impact of the Devon Mental Health Alliance (DMHA) at a recent event.
Launched in 2022 as part of the Community Mental Health Framework, the Alliance brings together five voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations working alongside statutory partners — Devon Partnership NHS Trust and Livewell Southwest — to deliver more connected, person‑centred mental health support for people across the county.
The event brought together colleagues from health and care providers, local authorities, VCSE partners and people with lived experience to reflect on progress and look ahead to future priorities.
Jacquie Mowbray-Gould, Strategic Improvement Programme Director at Devon Partnership NHS Trust opened the celebration, which marked four years of partnership.
As well as hearing how the partnership is transforming how providers deliver mental health services, attendees also had a chance to hear how the partnership is transforming people’s lives from service users.
Rebecca, who has been supported by Recovery Practitioner James, spoke about how she had struggled with mental health difficulties from a young age and how working alongside James, she has felt supported in a way like never before and empowered to make changes.
Paul, who has also struggled with mental health difficulties throughout his life, spoke about his experiences and of working as a Community Listener for the Alliance and the difference peer support can make.
A key part of the event was the launch of the Alliance’s first impact report, highlighting the scale and breadth of support offered across Devon including:
More than 3,000 people receiving one‑to‑one support from DMHA Recovery Practitioners
A county-wide network of 19 drop‑ins and 13 peer support groups, which is expected to facilitate over 12,000 contacts in the next 12 months
Partnership working with more than 500 VCSE organisations across the county
Dedicated support for people with a high use of contacting NHS First Response 111 services, leading to a 78% reduction in repeat contact
Summing up the day, Olivia Craig, Chair of the Devon Mental Health Alliance and Chief Executive of Devon Mind, said: “The Devon Mental Health Alliance shows what’s possible when organisations come together around people, not systems.
The stories we heard today remind us that partnership working can make a real difference to people’s lives. I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved together so far and excited to see what we can build next.”
