The BNSSG Mental Health Alliance is a network of over 20 Voluntary, Community and 
Social Enterprise (VCSE) organisations based across the Bristol, North Somerset and South 
Glos (BNSSG) regions, working collaboratively to deliver a range of psychological 
interventions for our communities. Commissioned by the Integrated Care Board (ICB) to 
work alongside the statutory sector, our aim is to offer holistic and inclusive support for 
people experiencing a range of challenges to their mental health including depression, 
anxiety, trauma, eating disorders, perinatal mental health. As part of this, the VCSE Mental 
Health Alliance recently received funding from the ICB to undertake a review of 
psychological therapies within BNSSG, seeking to better align the VCSE and statutory 
services in keeping with the new Community Mental Health Framework. 
We are now seeking to recruit two part-time Project Coordinators to help us develop this 
project over the next 10 months.

About the Project
There is a lack of accessible psychological therapy provision across Bristol, North Somerset, 
and South Gloucestershire (BNSSG) leading to gaps in service, some people not accessing 
services or waiting a long time to be seen. This is particularly true for people who have 
‘complex’ trauma presentations, experience multiple barriers to accessing services and/ or
require evidenced based and trauma informed interventions to address their needs.
Much of the therapy that people access in Primary Care outside of NHS Talking Therapies 
and Secondary Care, is provided in the Voluntary Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE)
sector, by specialist charitable organisations. This therapy is unevenly distributed across the 
six localities in BNSSG.
Womankind completed Phase 1 with a comprehensive report on VCSE talking therapies 
provision, (January 2024). 
Bristol Mind and Womankind are members of the VCSE Mental Health Alliance and are 
leading on Phase 2 of the project. 

Job purpose and responsibilities
To reach and represent our diverse membership, we are recruiting two part-time Project 
Coordinator posts who will work collaboratively to plan and deliver activities. Project 
Coordinators will be managed separately by our organisations. 
The Project Coordinator(s) will be responsible for the successful delivery of Phase 2 of the 
project and will work in collaboration with key stakeholders to support the re-design of a new, 
integrated model of care that will optimise psychological therapies provision for the people of 
BNSSG. 

Role Description
1. To work in collaboration with key stakeholders.
2. To collate referral and signposting data between statutory & VCSE Psychological 
Therapies services, tracking service-user journeys and gaps in provision.
3. To undertake targeted ‘deep dive’ consultations with evidence-based VCSE 
Psychological Therapies providers (121 and group), drawing out information on 
numbers/ sessions, waiting lists/times, geography, presenting issues, equity-based 
offers, service and clinical outcomes.
4. To work closely with Lived Experience groups to identify key system blocks and 
solutions relating to referral pathways, waiting times, choice/ flexibility, co-design and 
service-user voice.
5. To support the design of a new integrated model, working closely with the VCSE MH 
Alliance and wider Evidence-Based Practice Steering Group in order to agree key 
elements.
6. To support the design and delivery of a ‘test & learn’ approach to piloting the model, 
working closely with lived experience volunteers and an external research consultant.
7. To contribute to a final report designed to recommend best practice, promote interagency training, and support joined-up mental health provision across BNSSG