Safety and Equality in Mental Health Inpatient Services Phase II

The London Safety and Equality in Mental Health Inpatient Services (SEMHIS) Programme is now in its Phase II. The  programme builds on the London Safety in Mental Health Settings project  which has been running since 2019 . It also connects with the national programme of mental health transformation for inpatient services (Culture of Care programme)  and with the national improvement initiatives linked to the Patient Safety Incident Response Framework and the Patient and Carer Race Equality Framework.

Key achievements in the SEMHIS project over 2024 includes:  

  • A Trauma Informed Approaches Community of Practice for London successfully  launched in March 24  supported by a team of experts by experience and contributors who had been involved in ( SEMHIS) projects in collaboration with Psychological Professions Network (PPN) .   

  • SEMHIS Addressing Inequalities workstream delivered a  12-month quality improvement collaborative with at least one inpatient unit from each CSG trust with involvement of Trust QI leads and experts by experience. Addressing Inequalities Conference  took place in July 2024 hosted by South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust  attended by participating London Mental Health Trusts.  

  • SEMHIS Therapeutic Observations Quality Improvement Collaborative - 17 Mental Health Wards across London on Quality Improvement Projects on Enhanced Observations delivering a coproduced training package for participating ward teams. We want to evaluate  the impact of this new approach focused on unstructured engagement activity.   

  • Our LEAG members have developed a tool to measure Co-production success (12 key areas), we've created an online survey and a results template.   

  • We have delivered a leadership programme to 40 ward and divisional level leaders in mental health settings codesigned and co-delivered with lived experience partners and past participants.  

Next phase 2025  

  • Build on the success of SEMHIS and LEAG – support the Culture of Care program, Enhanced Care QI collaborative and advancing mental health equalities programs within London.  

  • Continuing development and strengthening of coproduction with service users, carers and frontline staff – building on our existing lived experience advisory group (LEAG)  

  • Using QI approach and building on existing or emerging good practice within Safety Leadership programme participants in London  

  • Sharing of learning and practice through the continuing development of the Community of Practice – events and comms/newsletter and CSG/ FutureNHS  site.

2026 update

Strengthening Mental Health Clinical Leadership
The Strengthening Mental Health Clinical Leadership project is working to build a clearer, more connected and sustainable approach to clinical leadership across London, in support of delivering the London Mental Health Strategy. At its heart, the project is about ensuring clinicians across the capital have meaningful and accessible routes to contribute to strategy implementation, system improvement and population‑level impact. 
The work is focused on the priority areas set out in the strategy, including neurodevelopmental pathways, community mental health, children and young people’s mental health, and the digital front door. It also spans closely linked areas such as inpatient care, crisis and acute pathways, co‑occurring substance use needs, and data‑enabled improvement, recognising that effective clinical leadership must cut across interfaces and settings. 
A core element of the project has been mapping existing mental health clinical leadership capacity across London. This includes NHS trusts, ICBs, the London Region, clinical networks and academic partners. Through this mapping, we are developing a clearer picture of the clinical leadership opportunities that already exist, alongside identifying strengths, gaps and untapped potential across professions, roles and system levels. This work is forming a robust evidence base to inform future recommendations. 
Engagement to date has included interviews with senior clinical leaders and key stakeholders, alongside a baseline survey exploring clinicians’ awareness of and engagement with the London Mental Health Strategy. These insights are shaping the next phase of the project, including potential recommendations and pilot initiatives. 
One early outcome has been the establishment of the London Mental Health Strategy Clinical Advisory Group. Bringing together senior clinical leaders from across the capital, the group provides insight and challenge to support clinically sound implementation, with a particular focus on pan‑London priorities and system‑wide issues. 

More information about the project can be found on our NHS Futures workspace. This is also a network for sharing of learning and communicating with project colleagues. The workspace can be found here:
https://future.nhs.uk/LondonSafetyMH/grouphome