In summer 2020, the South London Mental Ill-Health Prevention and Recovery Programme was formed in response to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on mental health and wellbeing. The programme is supported by south west and south east London Integrated Care Systems (ICSs), all south London NHS mental health trusts, local authority partners (councillors and leaders), Healthwatch organisations, Citizens UK, and voluntary and community sector organisations.
Together we launched the South London Listens (SLL) campaign on 10 November 2020. Over the four-month campaign we heard from over 5,700 people who told us how the pandemic was affecting them, their families, and their communities. Four priority areas emerged:
- Social Isolation, loneliness, and digital exclusion
- Work and wages
- Children, young people, and parental mental health
- Access to mental health services