Our Impact
We are proud of the difference we have made supporting individuals, VCSEs, NHS and the wider community
Voluntary and community sector support, resilience building and contracting
Compass Wellbeing builds on its strategy to foster resilience in the Third Sector by engaging directly with local community and voluntary services. We emphasise the importance of voluntary and community organisations (VCSEs) as integral parts of transformed care models.
Working across East and North London boroughs, and Luton, Bedford, and Central Bedfordshire, we aim to share knowledge and experiences by connecting organisations and through our no cost/ free to access training programme. Almost 1,100 individuals have attended nearly 80 training sessions provided by Compass Wellbeing.
This skill-sharing approach strengthens Compass Wellbeing’s position in the Third Sector and positively delivers not only population health outcomes but supports the delivery of Marmot principles and of our partners as local anchor institutions.
As a contract partner of ELFT, Compass Wellbeing independently procures project and grant funds for the sector, particularly supporting small organisations through simplified non-bureaucratic processes. We have developed a straightforward procurement process for commissioning organisations that want to better connect with the Third Sector which includes criteria/ specification development, an easy application process, and active and targeted promotion of funding opportunities that encourages partnerships within the sector while also supporting small VCSEs to complete applications. This approach has led to increased engagement with the VCSE sector as a whole and in particular small organisations, and a greater number of successful tenders for grants, resilience and sustainability funds, and VCSE-based posts within neighbourhood mental health teams.
Our substantial and significant connections across North and East London and Luton, Bedford and Central Bedfordshire allows us to build market intelligence and distribute a monthly newsletter and regular communiques and promote location or community-specific opportunities.
The Compass Wellbeing team not only supports commissioner procurement and VCSE applications but continues to oversee and sustain the delivery of contracts for all partners through regular review.
Relationship building and effective communication between statutory commissioners and Third Sector organisations via traditional methods (e.g. newsletters and direct communications) and social media are key to our proven approach.
Our Whitechapel office facilities continue to be offered at no cost to small VCSE organisations for group meetings and training sessions.
Our Impact Report for 2023/24
This year we have celebrated our uniqueness and our ability to operate as an agile arm of the East London NHS Foundation Trust to tackle the drivers of poor health with the aspiration of reducing inequalities and improving health outcomes.
The report is a deep dive into our journey, full of data, stories, and insights that show our dedication to reducing health inequalities and promoting social justice. You’ll get a glimpse into the challenges we faced, the solutions we came up with, and the wins we’re celebrating.
Impact Revealed: Elevating Children and Young People’s Mental Health through Community Action
In partnership with Compass Wellbeing and North Central and East London (NCEL) CAMHS, a groundbreaking Small Grants Programme was launched in 2022, targeting the Voluntary, Community & Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector.
Aimed at bridging gaps in mental health care, this initiative has successfully reached nearly 6,000 children and young people, bringing creative solutions to those often overlooked by traditional services.
Discover the Impact:
Explore how we’ve made a difference in the mental health landscape for children and young people across North Central and East London.
Collaborating for Change: Compass Wellbeing’s Inaugural Impact Report
2022/23 witnessed a remarkable period of growth for our organisation. Through our commitment to supporting grassroots organisations and fostering collaboration with CVS partners, local authorities, and the NHS, we have witnessed the transformative power of working together. Expanding the scope of our support to the VCSE sector, we now reach 16 boroughs in Bedfordshire and North East London, benefitting over three thousand organisations and a population of nearly three and a half million. Additionally, we proudly launched new training programmes to empower more mental health service users, enabling them to build essential skills and confidence for employment success.
Photo: Volunteer Centre Hackney – Sharron Wallace
Compass Wellbeing’s mission is to enhance community wellbeing and tackle social inequalities in the communities we serve. This impact report shows the many ways we put that mission into practice over the last year.
£5,345,872
Worth of projects were commissioned
238
Individual projects & contracts commissioned
275
Face to face meetings with VCSEs
61
New jobs through the CMHT Transformation Programme
Our VCSE alliance building conference
We extend our sincere thanks to all those who contributed to making our conference on 4th July 2023 an overwhelming success. It was truly energising to have the opportunity to bring together community and voluntary sector leaders to strategise and plan towards making a meaningful difference to the lives of our residents. The event saw representatives from more than 13 London boroughs and some attendees from Luton – almost 300 registered for the event.
Several organisations showcased their projects during the event and led engaging discussion sessions. Other colleagues showcased the work of their organisations in a ‘marketplace’ that ran throughout the day. The feedback from attendees was overwhelmingly positive with over 98% of those surveyed rating the conference positively. Among the highlights of the conference were the population health workshops led by our VCSE partners, which were widely regarded as highly effective.
Pathways to Success
Service User Employment Skills and Career Pathway Programme
The program provides a clear path to success through employment and skills development, particularly for mental health service users who have been out of regular employment. Our programme supports individuals to build a career pathway that fits in with their aspirations. We provide personalised coaching and mentoring to help service users achieve their potential and to build a supportive infrastructure that sustains and encourages them towards achieving substantive employment. The programme includes work skills training, internships, and level 2/ 3 accreditation for a group of service users on their pathway to work as interpreters for the NHS.
Our programme has provided service users with opportunities for learning enhancement and development that positively impacts their well-being, quality of life, and future job prospects. Those who have been inducted on to the programme have reported improvements in their literacy and computer skills and have been actively encouraged to participate in team meetings and contribute to our business operations. Our service user team members have all completed certificated statutory/mandatory training modules, which have proven to be positive additions to their CVs when applying for substantive work roles in the future. The offer of skills sharing and development has secured Compass Wellbeing’s position as a genuine contributor to population health outcomes.
We aim to create a positive influence on the lives of the individuals we serve.
Translation and Interpreting Service
Compass Wellbeing oversees an interpreting service contract relationship which has adapted to meet changing needs, and providing almost 32,000 service user interactions across Newham, Hackney, Tower Hamlets, Bedford, Central Bedfordshire, and Luton since 2021/22.
Our contract management focuses on value for money service provision and, uniquely, the incorporation of the service user interpreter training program. The pandemic prompted our shift towards service enhancements that better facilitated and promoted the expansion of remote delivery via telephone and video options.
Charitable Fund
Compass Wellbeing achieved a significant milestone in the development of a charitable fund for East London Foundation NHS Trust with the launch of The ELFT Charity in January/February 2022. We supported in the development of a governance framework for managing charitable funds and consolidated all charitable funds into a single one.
Compass Wellbeing took a leading role in selecting the model that eventually became The ELFT Charity, including the design and development of a process for grant making from initial application through to award and the necessary operational and financial requirements to manage the new charity.
Medical Devices Management
Throughout 2021-22, Compass Wellbeing supported ELFT in refining both process and maintenance specifications to efficiently manage over 7,750 medical devices across the trust. We conducted more than 60 training sessions for almost 600 staff members and co-ordinated communications and responses to equipment-related alerts and drafted capital bids for replacement equipment.
In the same period, we supported operational teams in medical device management to provide high quality governance and reassurance that positively impacted patient and service user care.
Compass Wellbeing successfully completed the procurement of a servicing, maintenance, and repairs contract for ELFT which commenced in June 2022.
COVID Testing Service
The COVID testing service, established to cater to key workers and vulnerable individuals across Luton, Bedford, and Central Bedfordshire, tested and notified more than 14,000 people between June 2020 and July 2021. Compass Wellbeing, was contracted to provide this service to, for example, nursing home residents, health and social care professionals, homeless units, schools and community drop-in sessions. The service offered seven-day-a-week availability and conducted on-site testing and training where required.
We refined data collection systems to include more detailed demographic information and referral source analysis for a targeted testing approach. Compass Wellbeing actively recruited testing staff from the VCSE sector and provided training and support to those laid off during the pandemic. This initiative led to permanent NHS employment for many and inspired several individuals to pursue professional training in nursing and allied health professions.
At its peak, the service handled over 1,500 tests per month and delivered results within 24-48 hours. A survey of users showed that:
- 96% of those who responded were satisfied/very satisfied with their experience
- 90% found it easy to book a convenient testing slot
- 99% reported receiving results promptly
- 95% reported a 5*/4* service
Our Testimonials
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Secure up to £50k for Children & Young People’s Mental Health Projects across North Central & North East London
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Our community engagement officer at the Get to Know Us Better! event by @plaistowsouth - Consisting of a marketplace, they brought together organisations and local residents to connect, share information and strengthen the community
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