Southdown’s vision for UOK East Sussex has been to create a mental health system for our communities that is accessible and inclusive, holistic and preventative. We believe that collaboration is key, when the issues are so big, no one single agency or provider can address them alone.
“UOK East Sussex is not a single entity or organisation, but a partnership that is bringing people and organisations together to really make a positive difference to people’s lives”
What inspired the creation of UOK East Sussex, and what was the vision at the start?
Following the success of UOK Brighton and Hove and a Lead Provider model working so well there, it was natural that the UOK principles could be transferred to other parts of Sussex. Ultimately, what lies behind UOK is the desire to provide the best possible services and we strongly believe this is best achieved through partnerships. Currently, the partners in UOK East Sussex are Seaview in St Leonards, Possability People and Southdown. We are so fortunate in East Sussex to have such a vibrant, diverse and high quality voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector and UOK exists to draw out the very best of that for people living in the county. Especially those who need help and support with anything relating to mental health and wellbeing. We are really excited to bring more partners on board!
What have been the biggest milestones in the first year?
Over 5000 people have benefitted from UOK East Sussex services so far in the first year, so that is a pleasing milestone!
I can’t quite believe it is only a year since the start of UOK East Sussex! We really hit the ground running and started on our commitment to redesign the Wellbeing Centre offer. A huge milestone was completing that process and co-producing the UOK East Sussex Wellbeing Service alongside colleagues from the East Sussex VCSE, people with lived experience, East Sussex County Council, and Southdown colleagues. We started in April and ended in October. Then getting the new service out to tender within the first year was also a very pleasing achievement. The new Wellbeing Service will enable people in East Sussex to receive information and support when they need it, close to where they live and also offer groups, courses, peer support, volunteering opportunities and a safe space. We strongly believe that the success of the service is reliant on as much engagement with the VCSE and communities across East Sussex as possible, so the networking a stakeholder engagement has also been another significant milestone reached.
We know that people who require support with their mental health and wellbeing aren’t always able to access services in person, due to many factors, and some people would just rather access resources and support online. Therefore, launching Qwell – our digital online support offer – was a major step in our first year. Anyone living in East Sussex, as well as Brighton & Hove, can now access this brilliant free, anonymous, and nationally recognised online service. It takes just a few minutes to sign up and allows people to access supportive information resources, self-guided activities (such as journaling, mood tracking, and goal setting), peer-to-peer forums for moderated conversations and support, supportive messaging with mental health practitioners, available at any time, and professional live text chat support when needed. Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
What have been the key insights and learnings over the year ? For you in your role as well as for the network.
One thing that has really struck me in the first year has been the professionalism and commitment of everyone working in the services, across all of the UOK East Sussex services. There is a true desire to really ensure the services are of the highest quality and people get the support they need, where they are, and when they really need it. We know that there is not an equitable spread of services across East Sussex and that it is a large county with many different challenges. But the commitment of partners, staff, as well as people using services, to face up to these challenges head-on has been inspiring. The needs of people, as well as the systems in which organisations and workers have to operate are ever changing and organisations and their teams are having to adapt and flex to meet these demands and increased complexity. The resilience and agility to do this has been inspiring. I also learned very quickly that although Southdown is the lead provider, we are very much not doing this alone! There are a lot of people and organisations around us who support the ambition we have in delivering high quality support.
What are the key priorities and goals for the next year?
We will be starting off year two of UOK East Sussex with the next stage of the UOK East Sussex Wellbeing Service procurement. Assessing bids, awarding contracts and mobilising the new service to begin in September 2025. It will also be a big year for the new Neighbourhood Mental Health Teams and the UOK services that will figure as part of those. More broadly we are thinking about how UOK can benefit more VCSE organisations and subsequently how the growing partnership will benefit people who need help and support.
At Southdown we have a new Head of Partnerships, Emma McDermott, who, along with other priorities oversees UOK East Sussex, as well and UOK Brighton & Hove. Emma has identified some key priorities including building robust partnerships, sharing and celebrating our innovative work (like the UOK initiative in Brighton & Hove and East Sussex) as a beacon of partnership excellence , and continuously exploring emerging trends and opportunities that can benefit Southdown and our partners. So it promises to be another busy year ahead!
How will UOK East Sussex grow/ evolve in the year ahead and future years?
We know that what we do in UOK East Sussex, and what we plan to do, is really good. What we want to do is more of it! Grow and strengthen partnerships, expand services to reach more people and have a deeper impact. It is really exciting to think that in the coming 12 months we will be delivering services in new areas and reaching communities we aren’t currently able to. But it is also exciting to know that the current great work being done will continue this year and beyond. There will be other opportunities that present themselves and we need to be ready to respond to those, as we are already doing, to ensure we continue to evolve and grow.
Can you share a personal reflection over the year that has made you feel proud to be part of UOK East Sussex
There have been many highlights during what has been a really busy year, but nothing quite beats the opportunity to get out and meet people, whether at events or in services, to hear personal stories and to know that we are growing a network of partners and services that can and do already support people when they need it most. The fact that UOK East Sussex is not a single entity or organisation, but a partnership that is bringing people and organisations together to really make a positive difference to people’s lives makes me incredibly proud to be a part of.
Looking ahead
We will be starting off year two of UOK East Sussex with the next stage of the Wellbeing Service procurement. Assessing bids, awarding contracts and mobilising the new service to begin in September 2025. It is exciting to think that this will enable us to deliver valuable services in new areas and reaching communities we currently can’t serve.
It will also be a big year for the new Neighbourhood Mental Health Teams (a model aimed at having joined up and coordinated treatment and support available to people, according to their personal priorities, goals, and needs, irrespective of which organisation provides the support and interventions), and our services, which will play a key role in their delivery.
“As we look to the year ahead, we’re focused on building robust partnerships, celebrating our innovation, like UOK in Brighton & Hove and East Sussex, and staying open to new trends and opportunities that can benefit Southdown and our partners. There’s a real energy and ambition in the work, and it promises to be a busy and exciting year.”
– Emma McDermott, Head of Partnerships, Southdown
We are incredibly proud of leading this important work. Here’s to another year of growth, strengthening partnerships, leading services and reaching more people for a deeper impact.
