A leading mental health trust in Lincolnshire has been awarded trademark status for its innovative brand of mental health centres.

Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust currently has two Archway Centres™, in Lincoln and Boston, but plans to roll out more county-wide.

The Archway Centres™ reflect a new era in how mental health premises are planned, with the emphasis on providing them within the heart of the community, in non-stigmatising settings. With one in four people suffering from a mental health problem in their lifetime, seeing a mental health professional is commonplace, and the new strategy for the Trust’s premises emphasises that.

Some people are reluctant to seek help for mental health problems, but provision of high quality services in pleasant accommodation, in places like shopping centres, encourages people to use the service.

Dr Carol Brady, General Manager for Psychological Therapies and Primary Care Mental Health said “Our Archway Centres are easy to reach, they have plenty of parking, and inside they are very comfortable and nice places to be.  People who had used our previous bases, and moved with us, told us how much better the Archways are, and said that this makes them feel valued by the service.”