Oxfordshire Mind

We are Oxfordshire Mind, your local mental health charity. We’ve been campaigning for better mental health in Oxfordshire for over 50 years with our campaigning and support services. Like all local Minds, we are an independent charity that is proud to be affiliated with the national Mind association. Oxfordshire Mind runs a range of services, from community based wellbeing services to supported housing. Oxfordshire Mind also work alongside Buckinghamshire Mind to support people in Berkshire West as part of Mind in Berkshire.

Our work in suicide prevention

We actively take steps to support people to prevent suicide in all our services. These include an information and advice line, work supporting people at our community hubs via peer support groups and education and coping skills courses, our Safe Haven service and workers embedded in secondary care, amongst others. We take the risk of suicide seriously and work closely with clinical colleagues to manage risk and always put the individual at the centre of any safety planning and best practice guidance that we use. As well as supporting individuals at risk of suicide, we often work with people who have been affected by suicide and link with other local and national services that specifically support those who have been affected.

Our current priorities

Our current priorities focus on running safe and appropriate services to support individuals with their wellbeing and mental health. We are dedicated to extending access to our support and advice, reaching as many people as possible across Oxfordshire. A key aim is to work towards preventing suicide and reducing risk in all our services and interactions with those who use them. We also collaborate closely with local partners to mitigate risk and enhance staff preparedness, as part of the Oxfordshire Suicide Multi-Agency Group and the Berkshire Suicide Prevention Group.

Our current challenges

We face several challenges, including an increased risk and acuity in service user presentations, particularly within our Safe Haven service. Recruitment and retention of experienced and skilled staff remain ongoing difficulties, compounded by financial pressures on the organisation. Additionally, defining and accessing the appropriate level of suicide prevention and self-harm training for our staff presents another significant challenge.\