Our aim at Space2BHeard is to engage with our community and other organisations to offer therapeutic options that have been previously unavailable and to engage with groups who find accessibility to mental health services difficult. Because Space2BHeard is a Community Interest Company (CIC), we have published Space2BHeard’s annual impact report from May 2021-April 2022 that details our work in this period and how we have benefitted the local community.
Our philosophy is to enable, support, encourage and facilitate people to reach their autonomous place. We are committed to remain a local business, serving people from Hull and East Riding. Operating from locations in Hull, our workforce provides the knowledge, experience, and diversity to support our service users.
In the following Space2BHeard’s annual impact report summary you will see that we have experienced an upturn in referrals since the pandemic and we met many strategic aims, adding real social value through our work in the community.
Space2BHeard’s annual impact report – Service Users
Valued Minds: Is our affordable service created for people on a low income who are seeking independent therapy.
Objectives:
- Cover costs through reinvested profit
- Create clinical placements for trainee therapists
- Create an efficient referral process and care pathway, so clients can buy therapy in confidence
- Give clients the option to access long-term therapy because of limited options locally
Results:
- Reinvested £48,069 in direct and indirect costs
- Recruited 14 volunteer clinicians to deliver one-to-one therapy sessions, joining 10 established volunteers
- Space2BHeard/ECPT* partnership delivered supervision, training, mentoring and guidance
- 117 people accessed the service for short and long-term therapy sessions
*See partners and funders section below
Re-Mind: Is a unique service developed by our Long-Term Conditions Director, Gemma Wardell. It uses a mix of therapeutic approaches that work with and treat the mind and body connection of people living with long-term conditions e.g. pain, ME, Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue.
Results:
- Service reach increased 23% to 131 clients from Hull and East Riding
- Recruited one additional clinician to the existing team of four
We used data capturing methods throughout treatment to measure recovery of patients and the efficacy of treatment:
- 80% engaged for at least six sessions – 40% of whom recovered
- 70% of those patients engaged for at least 10 sessions – 57% of whom recovered
- 60% overall improvement in energy levels and tiredness (PHQ9)
- 70% were ‘recovered’ (as measured by PHQ9/GAD7)
- 50% reported an improvement in their ability to undertake their usual activities
- On average, patients felt a daily health improvement of 22%
Let’s Talk contract is a core part of Space2BHeard and our first contract working alongside ECPT in mid-2016.
The pandemic affected people accessing mental health support nationally, and we saw referrals decrease by 66 on the previous year. However, from January 2021 numbers returned to pre-pandemic levels before steadily increasing throughout the latest Space2BHeard’s annual impact report period.
We are pleased to be part of the Let’s Talk network, which has increased options and accessibility for complex clients within Hull’s primary mental health service. Although operating within the constraints of NHS funding, we provide as flexible a service as possible. Our ethos of not taking a one size fits all approach provides access to more than the six sessions associated with NHS treatment.
Statistics:
- 35% increase in patients from the previous year (241 to 325)
- Patients ranged from moderately to severely anxious and/or depressed
- Recovery rate of 56% in April 2022, 6% above NHS England target
Hull City Council
We work with Occupational Health and HR at Hull City Council for the Independent Counselling contract we procured in April 2020, offering an accessible and confidential service to council staff. 74% of the 225 staff members we worked with during the current Space2BHeard’s annual impact report period reached ‘recovery’ (PHQ9/GAD7), whilst we support those remaining to access further therapeutic intervention.
University of Hull
Towards the end of the current Space2BHeard’s annual impact report period, we established a small volunteer-led therapy service in partnership with the University of Hull for students identified as needing additional mental health support beyond that provided by the University’s wellbeing team.
Statistics:
- The University match-funded the £4000 we secured from the Key Fund in October 2021 to run the service
- Space2BHeard will deliver a high quality therapeutic service to 40 students for 6-12 months from March 2022
Space2BHeard’s annual impact report – Workforce
The Space2BHeard Workforce Team comprises business, clinical, volunteers, and leadership staff, with a mix of employed, self-employed, and voluntary positions. The Directors are committed to their wellbeing and supporting their personal and professional development. We offer additional benefits such as training and CPD investment, high quality supervision, DBS costs, annual reviews, and ongoing professional support.
Statistics:
- Recruited six clinicians, taking our team to 15
- Clinicians regularly complete 15 hours’ work per week
- Our hourly rate is approximately 38% more than a full-time counsellor role pro rata
- Our core team comprises: Business Support Lead, three Directors, one apprentice
- Business Support Lead hours increased from 25 to 30 per week, with six months’ training and support going forward
- Business Admin apprentice role went to full-time and will move to fully employed from August 2022
- Working with ECPT we provide placement opportunities with Valued Minds for invaluable experience as volunteers at Space2BHeard, so we can offer affordable therapy to our community
- Mutually beneficial long-term placements for two Clinical Psychology students in partnership with the University of Hull
- £4,042 invested in training including CPD/supervision training
- £1,379 invested in the wellbeing of our staff including mentorship, staff development days and social events
Space2BHeard’s annual impact report – Partners and Funders
We believe we can better meet our community needs by providing choice through collaboration with partners. Our key strategic partner is the Ellesmere Centre for Psychotherapy (ECPT), from where we evolved in 2017. This partnership is overseen by a Partnership Steering Board and a Memorandum of Understanding has been developed to hold the key areas of governance.
Advantages to Space2BHeard:
- Affiliation with ECPT’s longstanding reputation for excellence in Psychotherapy and Training
- Access to qualified experts in Mental Health Service provision, Psychotherapy and Education
- Opportunities to collaborate on new ideas, research, and best practice
- Discounted access to CPD
- Managed office space
- Discounted access to sessional therapy space
- Access to Therapy Trainees and ECPT affiliate therapists
- Recruitment opportunities from ECPT affiliate network
ECPT benefits from:
- Access to placements in a variety of practice contexts
- Provision of supportive and appropriate first placements for students
- Mutually enhancing current and real-world practice links
- Joint working opportunities – ideas, research, and best practice
- Longer term rental agreements and improved cashflow
Development of this collaboration is tabled at each Board Meeting, with a bi-annual meeting for a full review of our joint operations, ongoing projects, and prospective future projects.
Space2BHeard continues to prioritise partnerships and networks, which we have expanded this year:
- HEY Smile Foundation
- Beverley Golf Club
- The Humber LEP
- Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Service
- HEY Mind
- Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust
Donations
We have also received kind donations, 100% of which go towards our direct costs:
- A service user donated £1,000, enabling eight people to access independent therapeutic support
- Malt Shovel public house on Anlaby Road held a pre-Christmas fund raiser totalling £1,400
- Pat Howdle, Captain of Beverley Golf Club has chosen Space2BHeard as their Social Enterprise of the year, with monies raised going towards projects that support people living with long-term conditions and mental health distress
Space2BHeard is proud to have maintained a stable and supportive environment during such uncertain times and although we experienced some impact on cashflow through a reduction in referrals during early lockdown, our future plans aim to build on the successes detailed in the current Space2BHeard’s annual impact report.
