The national living well programme was established over 10 years ago in Lambeth, London. 

To help us learn from what is working well, our leads visited colleagues in Lambeth. Read more about their visit.

To make sure the living well programme is right for people in our area, we've been working with people with lived exeprience of mental health issues and lots of partners. 

Living well services bring together lots of professionals who are working together to meet the needs of adults and older people with serious mental illness.

This includes mental health professionals, GPs, social workers, colleagues from voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations, police colleagues, experts in homelessness, substance misuse, employment, and benefits and many others.

People can be referred to their local living well service by their GP, or another mental health professional. The team of professionals meet regularly to look at referrals and what support will best meet each person's needs.

People might receive support from one professional, or several at the same time. For example, they might receive cognitive behaviour therapy from an NHS mental health practitioner, peer support  from a VCSE colleague and support around managing their finances or getting into work or education. Or they may be supported by one of our new specialist services or treatments.

Our living well services aim to benefit adults and older people with serious mental illness in the following ways:

  • Easily and quickly getting the right community-based care for their needs, which may change over time
  • Being supported to focus on their strengths and improve their self-management skills
  • Having to “repeat their story” less times
  • Receiving greater support from their families, carers, and social networks, and opportunities to participate in their local community
  • Receiving more peer support from people with lived experience of mental health issues, who can connect and understand using their own experiences.
  • Being supported to feel more independent, confident, and empowered.
  • Having a better experience 

Click on the link below for an update on progress in your borough. 

We'll keep this page updated and share key updates on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Follow us @PennineCareNHS.

If you live in one of the other five Greater Manchester boroughs, visit the Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust website.