Voluntary Independent and Private Sectors

The role of voluntary, independent and private sector service providers has become ever more important within a 'whole system' approach to the modernisation and delivery of local mental health services.

Voluntary, independent and private agencies are often able to provide a wide and varied range of accessible and person centred interventions deemed necessary for an individual's recovery from psychosis.

The recent Home Office guidance titled Change Up (2004) states that:

"The voluntary and community sector plays a crucial role in delivering public services and in building strong, cohesive and self-determining communities. Frontline voluntary and community organisations often work with those most at risk from social exclusion whether in our inner cities or peripheral rural areas. They provide help, give support and meet multiple needs in ways which not only give citizens and users a voice but also the means to tackle themselves the underlying causes of their problems. At best they are innovative and can provide more effective and efficient ways of tackling some social problems and delivering services than either the public or private sector."

For more information on the local availability of voluntary services and how to access these see the Local Services section of the Toolkit