Category: Therapy

CQC Survey Reveals Ongoing Challenges in Community Mental Health Services

The Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) 2024 Community Mental Health Survey highlights persistent issues within NHS community mental health services in England. Key findings include:​

  • Access and Waiting Times: 40% of respondents did not receive support while waiting for their first appointment, and 42% reported that their mental health deteriorated during this period.​
  • Crisis Care: While 78% knew who to contact during a crisis, 27% did not receive the help they needed, and 47% reported that their families or carers were not offered support during such times.​
  • Care Planning and Involvement: Over a third (38%) did not have a care plan, and 43% had not had a review meeting to discuss their care. Additionally, 36% reported having no choice in how their care was delivered. ​
  • Support for Broader Needs: Significant numbers of respondents did not receive help or advice for joining community activities (44%), finding work (69%), or accessing financial advice or benefits (67%).

These findings underscore the need for comprehensive improvements in community mental health services to ensure timely access, effective crisis support, and holistic care planning.​

Read the full report: CQC – Community Mental Health Survey 2024

Step Into National Walking Month

May is National Walking Month, a great reminder to make time for daily walks and enjoy the many benefits of moving more. Walking is one of the simplest ways to improve physical and mental well-being — it helps clear the mind, boosts mood, and supports a healthier body.

Whether you take a stroll through your local park, walk part of your commute, or explore new places on foot, every step counts. Walking also connects us with our surroundings, giving us a chance to slow down and appreciate the world around us.

This month, why not combine your walks with a good book or podcast, or challenge yourself to add a few extra steps each day? Let’s celebrate the small, steady power of walking.

Strengthening Suicide Prevention: From Policy to Practice

The Suicide Prevention Consortium’s 2025 report, Suicide Prevention Principles: From Policy to Practice, outlines two fundamental principles for effective suicide prevention: ensuring ‘no wrong door’ to accessing support and providing person-centred care. The report emphasizes the need for collaborative efforts, inclusive practices, increased staff awareness, and robust workforce support to translate these principles into actionable strategies.

Read the full report: NSPA – Suicide Prevention Principles: From Policy to Practice

Resource of the Month

Therapist Aid

The Therapist Aid website features essential tools for mental health professionals; therapy worksheets, audio, activities, and more.

Therapist Aid is dedicated to helping mental health professionals improve their craft by providing free evidence-based education and therapy tools. The resources have been created with clients in mind, which means avoiding jargon, and creating tools that are not only useful in theory, but in practice.

Scan the smart code on the poster or visit the website here. For help with this please email the library team: academic.library@lscft.nhs.uk

Please feel free to download our resource of the month poster and share with your team or within your department.