10 June 2022
City of York Mental Health Partnership, of which TEWV are a part, has joined forces with Beat, the UK’s eating disorder charity, to boost the support for people with eating disorders and their families across York and The Vale of York.
The partnership has commissioned Beat, to provide additional support for people with existing or emerging eating disorders and their families and carers and the move comes as the NHS sees record demand for eating disorders services.
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a huge impact on people and as a result we’ve seen a rise in the number of eating disorder referrals we are receiving. Early intervention is key to making sure that people receive the appropriate support and treatment to maximise chances of a good recovery. The longer people have to wait, the more damage can be caused to their long-term physical and mental health. By working in partnership with Beat we can make sure that people get fast and efficient access to support as soon as possible.
David Kerr, Community Mental Health Transformation and Programme Delivery Lead at Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust
The initiative is part of the Community Mental Health Transformation and Connecting Our City programmes. Through the programme’s local NHS, public sector and voluntary community and social enterprise organisations are working together with people with lived experience of mental illness, to address people’s needs and offer innovative new approaches to help people living with mental health illnesses to live well in the local community.
The Beat initiative is one of a number of programmes taking place and forms part of wider plans to enhance and develop specialist eating disorder services across York and the Vale of York.
Beat have extensive expertise in supporting people with eating disorders and their families and working closely with the NHS. Their specialist trained advisors and clinicians can support people in a variety of ways from peer support and buddy programmes to online and telephone support sessions.
Beat will be providing a range of support including supporting adults 18+ who have disordered eating but don’t meet the criteria for specialist services, those who are awaiting treatment, and those who have a binge eating disorder that isn’t ordinarily supported by mainstream services locally. Beat will also be providing both group and one to one support for carers of people who are living with an eating disorder.
We're pleased to be partnering with the City of York Mental Health Partnership to support more people with eating disorders across York and the Vale of York. We know how devastating eating disorders can be for the individual as well as their loved ones, and that accessing quality treatment as soon as possible leads to the best chances of making a full recovery. This partnership can help make a real difference to those affected by eating disorders by ensuring that local support is available quickly. It's also brilliant to see organisations working closely together across York to help those in need.
Caroline Price, Beat's Director of Services
providing them with the skills they need to work towards recovery, and, for those waiting for specialist services, to place them in the best frame of mind for when their treatment begins.
The charity will also be providing a peer support buddy system, which sees lived experience volunteers who have recovered from their own eating disorder offering a listening ear, encouragement and signposting to wider services that might help people during their journey.
There’ll also be extensive online and telephone support to families and carers of people of any age who are living with an eating disorder. The support is designed to help people better understand eating disorders and to provide them with the skills they need to support their loved ones. Through better understanding, people will be able to help their loved ones to engage with care and treatment, which further aids the recovery process.
If you are a carer and would like to enrol yourself on the Developing Dolphins course, a free online training course for anyone caring in a personal capacity for someone with anorexia or bulimia, please get in touch with Beat’s training team via email at training@beateatingdisorders.org.uk or by calling 01925 912829. You can also seek support and information about other services Beat provide by calling their helpline on 0808 801 0677.
Working with Beat is an exciting opportunity to provide much-needed support to people living with an eating disorder and their families. Beat has extensive expertise in this field and in partnership working. Their specialist advisors and clinicians can support people in a variety of ways. The project with Beat will continue alongside the wider transformation work of Connecting Our City which aims to continue to improve community-based mental health services across the city for residents.
Cllr Carol Runciman, Executive Member for Health and Adult Social Care at City of York Council
A working group made up of people with lived experience, carers, voluntary sector partners and those from mental health services and social care is meeting regularly to transform and codesign community based mental health services to meet the needs of local people. If you would like to get involved or find out more please email connectingourcity@york.gov.uk.
