Too many people with mental health issues remain in hospital unnecessarily because they’re aren’t many viable alternatives. 

At Bridge, we understand the complexities of providing mental health services in an environment where the NHS is under pressure because we’ve provided effective community mental health services for over 30 years. We pride ourselves in providing quality support for our clients that focuses on recovery, is safe for our communities, and cost effective for the tax payer. 

We’re successful because we’ve developed systems and procedures that enable us to respond to the demands of a changing environment, make decisions quickly and strive for continuous improvement. 

This is how we do it.  

Strategies to facilitate continuous improvement 

Over the last 30 years, we’ve strived for continuous improvement. Our success is due to two key factors.

1. Open communication between management and staff. 

Bridge staff are highly qualified, experienced and dedicated to the recovery of the clients they support. We ensure that channels of communication between staff and management remain open so we involve the people who have the most relevant knowledge in our decision making processes. 

Self-managing teams, bringing ‘you’ to your work and having a clear common purpose are the practical ways by which the whole organisation is able to talk to each other to deliver a better quality of life for the people we work with but also for ourselves as we go about our work. 

2. Implementation of a repeatable model 

We are confident about our success rates because we have a model of support that is tried, tested and, most importantly, repeatable. 

To achieve this we:

• Have a strong, well-differentiated core (we know where we are different and where we add value and impact).
• Have clear non-negotiables (everyone in the organisation knows when they can take decisions, agree actions or just say no).
• Have systems for closed-loop learning (where changes are taking place people and systems learn quickly and have the urgency and permission to respond, review and plan effectively).

These systems mean we can make better decisions faster. 

How does this work in practice? 

At Bridge, we’re expanders rather than contractors. Contractors tend to be static, hierarchical and bureaucratic. Instead, expanders are innovative, entrepreneurial and flexible. 

For instance, we have a small central office which means our funding goes where it should go – to support our clients. We also have a very flat structure which means we can be nimble, respond to current needs, and make decisions quickly. 

We also benefit from the power of focus and constant adaptation. Because of the quality of our staff and the support they give to their clients, we are able to pull up from the bottom rather than push down aggressively from the top. And because we operate replicable models, we are constantly adapting our practice to strive for improvement. 

What are the benefits of the way we work to our clients and the communities we serve? 

The working practices at Bridge have been developed and continuously improved over the last 20 years. As a result, we are able to provide support for our clients that enables them to leave hospital and live their lives independently and meaningfully as members of the community. 

We are able to take pressure off the NHS and the tax payer by providing a safe, effective and cost-efficient alternative to patients remaining in hospital long term unnecessarily. We are constantly moving forward as a team and continuously striving to improve our services for our clients, the communities we serve and the commissioners who trust us to deliver quality services. For more information get in touch.