We are the Cheshire & Merseyside Resilience Hub – providers of high quality free & confidential psychological interventions for NHS, Social Care & Emergency Service staff, footprint wide.  

Working hand in hand with organisations – we reduce pressures on core wellbeing teams and ensure staff members have access to the right support at the right time.

In doing so – staff members are more supported and in control of their mental health and wellbeing – allowing them to see the bigger picture.

Our story: During the Covid19 pandemic, it was realised that staff mental health would have a big impact, if things didn't change. The UK government and NHS England worked together and in December 2020 saw the creation of 40 staff mental health and wellbeing hubs up and down the country. 

These hubs were brought together to alleviate pressures on core services by providing staff members across the footprint with a safe, free and confidential service - where they could reach out for help and support in relation to their mental health and wellbeing. These hubs instantly became a breathing point for staff members seeking support. The hubs provided a free 1-2-1 assessment and they sought out the right support and treatment if needed. They also removed barriers for staff members reaching out for help. 

The Cheshire & Merseyside Resilience Hub focused on 3 core staffing areas:- the NHS, Social Care & Emergency Services. We provided 1-2-1 assessments, team/systemic support, group support, active outreach, workshops and webinars as well as information giving and self help and non-clinical pastoral support. Since our inception, we've continuously grown in size! From the number of referrals the hub received, to the number of staff members working for us. 

In May 2023, the Cheshire & Merseyside Integrated Care Board (ICB) released a statement regarding future funding models for CMRH and how this is not a viable option to support at the current moment. Since then, we've had to enact a wind-down trajectory, to ensure those on current wait lists and those in active therapy receive their treatment with enough recourses. This means a lot of the things we do have had to be put on hold. Things like 1-2-1 referrals, team systemic support and outreach all stopped in June 2023. 

We've since been having conversations with local partners across the footprint, to look at different funding models. This has been a real tricky aspect, because organisations differ in size and offer etc. Unfortunately, because of this and other factors, we haven't been successful in obtaining the right amount of funding needed for the next financial year. The means as of 31/04/2024 - the CMRH service will cease. Whilst it's not the outcome CMRH hoped for, we remain hopeful for the clients we are here to support. 

We've got a long way to go yet and we're working hard behind the scenes to ensure that we have the right support in place for our partners and organisations once our doors have closed. We're looking at leaving a lasting legacy of support - from self help information, to a community directory - right through to a range of YouTube videos and podcasts too. It's been such a great journey, but it's not over just yet!

In the meantime we continue to provide the levels of high quality service that set out to deliver in 2021. If you have any queries or questions regarding the wind down / service shut down, you can contact us or alternatively, you make a suggestion or even leave the team some feedback.

If you wish, there are options for you to have your say:
1) Join the British Psychological Society (BPS) campaign - #FundNHSHubs. You can email your MP to let them know this the closure of the hubs will have a big impact on staff health & wellbeing. 

2) Contact the Integrated Care Board - FAO: Chief People Officer and share you concerns.

3) Submit a question to the ICB board members for the next board meeting.