Action plan for good mental health in Wandsworth launched

The action plan presents how council departments will work together between now and 2030 to deliver the plan, looking at factors that shape mental wellbeing. This includes access to quality housing, a good education and employment, and the chance to enjoy leisure and culture in strong, and safe communities. Healthy Minds puts good mental health at the heart of all decisions.

Wandsworth Council will work alongside partners in the NHS and voluntary sector to strengthen these ‘building blocks of health’ while improving access to them.

Healthy Minds has been developed through collaboration with the local NHS, local people and mental health forums and was launched this week at a town hall event.

Actions set out in Healthy Minds include

• Building 1,000 homes for council rent
• Expanding access to counselling and putting on resilience workshops for parents
• Helping people find jobs through Work Match
• Paying the London Living Wage
• Automatically enrolling eligible children for free school meals
• Free off-peak access to leisure centres for eligible residents
• Harnessing the legacy from the London Borough of Culture to embed creativity in communities
• Developing an urban greening programme
• Expanding the School Streets programme
• Improving support for people with mental health and substance abuse issues
• Embedding racial and socio-economic equality in all key decisions

Cabinet Member for Health Graeme Henderson said: “Our mental wellbeing is shaped by the everyday things like where we live, the work we do, the people around us, and the opportunities we have.

“Healthy Minds focuses on these basics, on how we can deliver them, and how we can prevent mental ill-health and create a truly fair and equal borough where everyone can thrive.”

Read Healthy Minds