We Shape Policy

We listen to people with mental health problems and help them bring about change in Scotland and across the UK.

System Reform

Scotland is experiencing a mental health crisis. Fundamental reform of how we design, resource and deliver mental health care in Scotland is urgently needed.

We’re campaigning for increased and effective mental health investment which supports a shift to early intervention and prevention. We need more community mental health support across the country, with the role of the third sector being key in this. To this end, we have expanded our service offering to include The Nook – a national network of walk-in mental health support hubs that require no appointment and no referral.

Support and Treatment

People experiencing a mental health problem may at some point need support - whether at the early intervention stage or in times of crisis. We believe you should be able to ask once and get help fast.

But often that’s not the case, with support difficult to access and failing to meet the needs of Scotland’s diverse communities. We’re campaigning to make access to mental health support easier, faster and more effective.

Social Security and Financial Support

We know that financial insecurity and poverty are significant drivers of poor mental health and higher rates of suicide.

Our policy work in this area focuses on ensuring that people with mental health problems are able to access employability services that help them find, keep or progress in a job, as well as advocating for Scottish and UK social security systems that provide adequate support and treats people living with mental health problems in a dignified way.

Rights, Equality and Inclusion

People with mental health problems too often face stigma and discrimination and additional barriers to realising their human rights. That’s why we campaign to ensure that all people with mental health problems, regardless of background or identity, have equal opportunities to live well, with barriers to support removed. We are also a proud managing partner of See Me.

People with mental health problems can be detained and treated without their consent. That’s why we are working hard to ensure reform of Scottish mental health law is rooted in fairness and supports people realise their human rights, maximising people’s own involvement in decisions about their life, care and treatment.