What People in Sandwell Say About Getting Mental Health Support June 2026

Report - 14 September 2026

As part of Healthwatch Sandwell's priority work programme, this project explored local residents' experiences and awareness of community mental health services. The project aimed to understand how people access support, identify barriers that may prevent them from seeking help, and gather feedback on how services can be improved to better meet the needs of local communities.
Awareness of available services, confidence in accessing support, and experiences of care can vary significantly between communities. Healthwatch Sandwell identified community mental health services as a priority area due to ongoing concerns about access, waiting times, awareness of services, and health inequalities affecting different groups across the borough.

The findings showed that people were most aware of support available through their GP and community organisations. However, awareness of services such as bereavement support, peer support, wellbeing services, online support, and telephone counselling was much lower.

Although many people knew that support existed, accessing it was often difficult. The most common problem was long waiting times, alongside confusion about where to go, complicated referral processes and a lack of clear information. Some people felt their mental health difficulties were not taken seriously until they reached crisis point.

Download our full report to see what other people said about getting mental health support in Sandwell.

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What People in Sandwell Say About Getting Mental Health Support June 2026
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