Read: Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust becomes first mental health trust to sign up to new levelling up framework

Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust (GMMH) has become the first mental health trust to commit to a new set of levelling up measurements.

In partnership with former Education Secretary Rt Hon Justine Greening and former Public Health Minister Rt Hon Anne Milton, GMMH will now produce a Levelling Up Impact Report to measure its impact against the Levelling Up Goals.

Established earlier this year with input from businesses, universities, policymakers and regulators, the Levelling Up Goals set out clear objectives for the UK's levelling up challenge in the wake of Covid-19.

The Levelling Up Impact Report will highlight and build upon best practice projects and initiatives currently underway at GMMH. 

Greater Manchester Mental Health joins a number of NHS Trusts and public sector organisations measuring their social impact against the goals, as well as a range of businesses.

A long-term campaigner on social mobility and levelling up both inside and now outside of Parliament, in 2018 Justine Greening co-founded the Social Mobility Pledge to bring organisations together to improve social mobility. The Levelling Up Goals are the first major piece of work launched by the most committed of these organisations, the Purpose Coalition.

Justine Greening said: “It’s really exciting to be working with our first mental health organisation to measure its impact against the Levelling Up Goals. The Levelling Up Goals give a clear architecture for organisations and leaders, such as Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust and Chief Executive, Neil Thwaite, to measure and articulate their purpose and impact. 

“Covid-19 has not only impacted physical but also mental health and highlighted the work that needs to be done to address these issues. Mental health trusts will play a key role in tackling these inequalities that have arisen and help us to not only recover from the pandemic but use it as a catalyst for change.”

Neil Thwaite, Chief Executive at Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, said: “As a trust, we believe every individual should be able to benefit from the same opportunities and life chances. We are delighted to be the first mental health trust to pledge our commitment to measuring and communicating our social impact on the communities we serve, through the use of the framework provided by the Levelling Up Goals.”