Mind in Harrow

Founded in the 1960s as part of the national Mind network, Mind in Harrow has grown into one of the UKs leading Mind organisations. The charity is committed to helping people with mental health issues throughout Harrow as exemplified in their mission statement:

“We won’t give up until everyone experiencing a mental health problem gets both support and respect.”

1 in 4 people in the UK experience mental health issues every year and whereas the overall number of people with mental health problems has not changed significantly in recent years; worries about things like money, jobs and benefits can make it harder for people to cope (www.mind.org.uk). These problems have consequently played a role in suicide becoming the leading cause of death for 20-34-year olds in the UK. What’s more, figures around mental health do not include those in hospital, prison, sheltered housing or homeless, suggesting they significantly underestimate the prevalence of mental health issues in the UK.

Mind in Harrow deliver support services ranging from befriending to cultural integration to employment assistance which meet the diverse needs for people from all walks of life. Subsequently, the organisation has seen unprecedented growth. This was a key factor in encouraging Mind in Harrow to join the Substance family. Mark Gillham, Chief Executive, stated how;

“Mind in Harrow has doubled in size of the past 9 years. Without Views, we would have struggled to cope with the amount of data coming in.”

View impimented in 2013

Since implementing Views in 2013, Mind in Harrow has developed into an organisation that not only ‘copes’ with its data but now has the ability to analyse and report on it, enhancing service user and organisational outcomes.

At present, Mind in Harrow is running 12 different services through the Views platform. Mark emphasised how the flexibility of Views has enabled the charity to monitor and evaluate diverse services, each with differing reporting requirements.

One such example is the Nedaye Zan Project which aims to remove the barriers preventing the Afghan community from accessing local mental health services and social welfare. Through bi-weekly workshops, Afghan women share how life experiences have affected their mental health and gain an understanding of how Western mental health services can complement Afghan healing traditions. As a result, Mind in Harrow has;

• Helped reduce the sense of isolation experienced by Afghans with mental health difficulties
• Helped increase wellbeing and self-confidence of Afghan mental health service users
• Provided advocacy and interpreting support to Afghan mental health service users to help them understand and access mental health and other social welfare services

By using Views to monitor and evaluate the Nedaye Zan project, Mind in Harrow was able to publish a 2-year report which secured £100,000 of Comic Relief funding over the next 3 years. Moreover, Views reporting has enabled the charity to secure £60,000 over 2 years to support the Somali Hayaan project and 200,000 over 3 years to support the Head for Work project.

Showcasing Impact through Views

The infographic (top left) highlights the great work Mind in Harrow has been conducting through Views since 2013.

Despite these impressive figures, the biggest impact Mind in Harrow has had, and is continuing to have, is its personal effect on the people of Harrow. One Nedaye Zan Project attendee stated how;

“In the two years I’ve been attending the Nedaye Zan classes, my mental health has improved a lot. Before, I felt very isolated.”

This is why we created Views. Views gives organisations such as Mind in Harrow the platform to streamline their operations and processes, improve standards and increase efficiency to their services. Ultimately, having a greater impact on the people that need it the most.

If you would like to more about Mind in Harrow and their services, visit http://www.mindinharrow.org.uk/

If you are an organisation looking to improve your processes, monitor and evaluation your data or showcase the impact of your work, visit www.viewsapp.net for more information or email info@substance.net