Across the country, NHS mental health services are under pressure. Hospital beds are scarce, community provision is patchy, and the system doesn’t always reach the people who need it most. That’s where Bridge Support comes in.
For over a decade, we’ve worked closely with NHS commissioners to design and deliver services that fill critical gaps, especially around hospital discharge, step-down support, housing, and recovery. But what makes those partnerships effective isn’t just service delivery. It’s trust, co-design, shared accountability, and a relentless focus on outcomes. Here’s how we make it work and what we believe effective partnerships with commissioners should look like.
A Relationship Built on Trust
At the heart of every successful commissioning partnership is trust. We’ve earned that trust by delivering consistently, adapting quickly, and staying transparent when things don’t go to plan.
Commissioners know that when they work with Bridge, they’re working with a provider who:
- Understands the local landscape, including where gaps exist.
- Listens to what frontline staff and service users need.
- Communicates honestly, especially when challenges arise.
- Uses funding responsibly and transparently.
Trust isn’t a given. It’s earned over time, and we protect it carefully.
Co-Design, Not Just Contracting
One of the key differences in our model is that we don’t wait for specifications to land, we get involved in shaping them. We regularly sit down with commissioners, local authority teams, and NHS clinicians to ask: What’s missing? What’s not working? Where are people falling through the cracks?
From there, we co-design services that:
- Are financially sustainable, not just quick fixes.
- Centre the experience and needs of service users.
- Complement (rather than duplicate) what the NHS and local authorities already provide.
- Prioritise recovery, not just crisis management.
That approach has led to innovative services like our step-down supported housing in Basildon, our 24-hour sites in Bexley and Greenwich, and our Recovery College model that offers peer-led learning and personal development outside traditional care pathways.
A Focus on Outcomes
We know that commissioners are under pressure to justify every pound spent. That’s why measuring impact is just as important as delivering services. Together with commissioners, we agree on clear outcomes and then track progress consistently. These include:
- Reductions in delayed discharges and readmissions.
- Improvements in quality of life, independence, and wellbeing.
- Cost savings through reduced A&E visits and inpatient stays.
- Tenant sustainment and reduced housing instability.
- Service user feedback and satisfaction.
This commitment to shared metrics helps us evolve and improve but also gives our partners confidence that we’re delivering results.
Shared Accountability
One of the reasons our relationships with commissioners work is because we’re open when things don’t. Mental health support is complex. Recovery is rarely linear. Services must be flexible, and so must partnerships. When problems emerge, whether it’s staffing, funding, or outcomes, we bring those issues to our commissioners early. We don’t sugarcoat them, and we don’t pass the buck. That culture of mutual accountability means we tackle issues together and avoid service breakdowns that can harm the people we’re here to support.
A Two-Way Partnership
We often say that Bridge sits “in the gap”—between hospital and home, between services and systems, but we don’t work in isolation. The services we deliver are part of a bigger picture, and we are proud to be trusted partners in local transformation work.
Over the past 15 years, we’ve worked with:
ICBs and NHS Trusts across South East London and Essex
Local authorities seeking to reduce rough sleeping and improve housing support
Voluntary sector alliances improving community mental health services
Primary care networks and place-based partnerships
What makes these partnerships strong is that they’re not one-sided. We are delivering services with insights from the frontline, shaping local strategy, and helping the whole system learn.
Looking Ahead
We know that integrated care systems are still evolving. Budgets are tight while need is growing, and services are being asked to deliver more than ever before. But we remain optimistic because when local commissioners and voluntary sector providers work as true partners, with mutual respect, shared goals, and a commitment to transparency, we can design systems that genuinely support recovery, dignity, and hope.
If you’d like to learn more about our partnerships, visit here.
Further Information
The Lambeth Alliance – a model for the future
How Bridge Back Home Team improves patient care while quickly saving the NHS close to £5 million
