South London NHS Trust boosts inpatient care with VCSE Inreach Project

July 25, 2026

South London News NHS and Wellbeing Desk Edited By Jimmy Nsubuga

South London NHS Trust's VCSE Inreach Project is improving inpatient care by fostering collaboration.

VCSE Inreach Project Enhances Inpatient Care

Over 40 individuals from the Trust and its Voluntary, Community, and Social Enterprise (VCSE) partners convened to discuss the VCSE Inreach Project. This initiative aims to positively impact ward environments and build meaningful connections for service users.

Activities are now active across 25 acute inpatient wards during evenings and weekends. The project introduces structured activities to combat boredom and distress.

Since its inception, service users have participated in ward activities over 540 times. An estimated 2,500 activities are planned for the next 12 months.

Hannah Tendler, Community Partnership Officer, stated: "This session was more than just connecting with others in the project, it was about learning from the early days to support any issues straight away." She added, "We want spaces like these to ensure we are doing the best we can with a project that we know is proven to improve the experiences of patients on our wards."

Positive Feedback and Service User Engagement

Staff reported highly positive feedback from wards and strong service user engagement. One staff member noted: "The staff were particularly pleased that one of the service users took part in the session because they were aware of his low mood and the distress he had been experiencing throughout the day."

Service users have reported feeling "more relaxed" and "excited" during the initial months of the project. One participant described the experience as "therapy to me."

Activities are selected through extensive consultation with service users and staff. These often include music, art, exercise, and wellbeing sessions.

Monica, a proactive project member, commented: "We all got to make the decisions together. It was a true case of co-production." One service user began volunteering to support activity delivery within a week of discharge due to their positive connection with the team.

Key Changes demonstrated how an open mic night could be implemented on wards. Participants' responses were used to create an AI-powered song reflecting their emotions.

Maroon Fitness founder, Aaron Asomdew, shared his work began during the pandemic with the Ladywell Unit. He collaborated with Sophia Awan, Lambeth Head Occupational Therapist, on exercise classes.

Hannah Tendler highlighted the project's evolution: "We’re keen to hear feedback not only about what is working well, but what can be improved." She continued, "Having an activity our inpatients can continue with beyond their time with us helps the transition back into community living."

The project, co-funded by Maudsley Charity and NHS England, aims to enhance ward environments, reduce distress, and improve outcomes. It supports long-term recovery by connecting service users with community groups for post-discharge engagement.

Nationally, the NHS is investing in community-based mental health services to improve patient outcomes and reduce hospital admissions. In London, there is a growing emphasis on integrating VCSE organisations into care pathways to provide holistic support. Data from NHS England shows a significant increase in the number of people accessing mental health services, underscoring the need for innovative projects like this.

OFFICIAL SOURCE VERIFICATION:

This report is based on official clinical data from South London and Maudsley NHS Trust.

Document: Connection and collaboration: VCSE Inreach Project partners and staff come together to improve inpatient care | Our blog

Source Link: https://slam.nhs.uk/blog/connection-and-collaboration-vcse-inreach-project-partners-and-staff-come-together-to-improve-inpatient-care-5961

Author

South London News NHS and Wellbeing Desk Edited By Jimmy Nsubuga

From the corridors of St Thomas' to pioneering local clinics, the South London News NHS & Wellbeing Desk offers comprehensive coverage of our healthcare system. Our editorial staff provide clinical updates, patient success stories, and service analysis, ensuring our readers stay connected to the medical milestones happening in their community.

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