Bringing mental health care into communities in south London
A new approach to mental health support is helping refugees, migrants and asylum seekers in south east London access care earlier and more easily.
This work is part of South London Listens, a partnership between the NHS, local authorities, voluntary organisations and community leaders across south London. The programme brings together communities and public services to tackle the root causes of poor mental health. It focuses on listening to people’s experiences, co-designing solutions and addressing wider issues such as housing, income and access to care.
Through this partnership, a Community Embedded Practitioner (CEP) model has been developed. This places a mental health nurse from South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust directly within community organisations, helping to remove barriers that have traditionally made NHS services feel distant or difficult to navigate.
The model is hosted locally by Lewisham Refugee and Migrant Network (LRMN), a trusted charity supporting people facing immigration challenges, homelessness and trauma. By working inside the organisation, the practitioner can build relationships quickly, offer culturally sensitive support and meet people in a familiar and safe environment.
This approach builds on what communities shared through South London Listens, that many people struggle to access mental health care due to long waits, complex systems and a feeling of being “invisible” within services.
Instead of expecting people to navigate the system alone, the CEP model brings the NHS into the community, making support more accessible, more human and rooted in trust.
Since becoming a full-time role in 2025, the impact has been significant. More than 100 people were referred within the first year, with most accessing NHS mental health support for the first time. Many were dealing with the effects of displacement, trauma, housing insecurity and uncertainty. The practitioner is often able to make contact on the same day, offering a level of responsiveness that is rarely possible in traditional services. For many people, this support is life-changing. One person said:
“Being referred to LRMN did not just change my life — it saved it. I was in a very dark place, struggling with severe depression and homelessness. I was met with kindness, support and compassion, and helped to access counselling, housing and specialist treatment. I can say with certainty that the support I received helped me rebuild my life.”
The role also helps people move successfully through the system. Those assessed as needing specialist support are referred into NHS services such as Talking Therapies and trauma services, while others receive one-to-one therapeutic support and help with wider challenges including housing and immigration.
Alongside direct support, the CEP strengthens the wider system by working closely with NHS teams and community partners. This helps highlight barriers, improve referral pathways and develop more inclusive approaches to care, reducing the risk of people being passed between services without receiving the help they need.
The Community Embedded Practitioner role is also part of a growing south London-wide effort to improve support for refugees, migrants and people seeking asylum. A new working group, led by Dr Grace Cowley from South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, brings together professionals from across local NHS organisations, Talking Therapies services, health inclusion teams and community partners to share learning, develop shared resources and coordinate work across boroughs. By strengthening connections between services and creating opportunities to learn from one another, the group is helping to build a more joined-up and accessible system of support. This is vital in ensuring that the CEP is part of a wider programme of work to improve outcomes for refugees and migrants, helping to drive forward sustainable change across south London rather than operating as a standalone initiative.
This joined-up approach reflects wider priorities across south east London to tackle the drivers of poor mental health while improving access to care.
There is now strong interest in expanding the model to other boroughs, building on what has been learned in Lewisham.