Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust: specialist mental health care in South East England

Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust describes itself as a specialist NHS organisation delivering mental health, learning disability and neurodevelopmental care to people living in South East England. Its services are organised for adults, children and young people across three areas: Brighton & Hove, East Sussex and West Sussex.

Care organised by service line

The trust groups its clinical activity into defined service areas, which give a picture of the breadth of its provision:

• Child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS)
• Community based services
• Inpatient services
• Learning disabilities services for adults
• Neurodevelopmental services for adults
• Specialist older adults and dementia services
• Specialist services
• Urgent care services

Alongside these, the trust maintains a section on hospitals and locations, indicating that care is delivered from more than one site rather than a single centre.

Support for patients, families and carers

Beyond direct clinical care, the organisation publishes guidance on using its services, including appointments, patient experience, recovery and wellbeing, and patient safety and safeguarding. It also addresses families and carers specifically, with material on support for carers, the Triangle of Care approach, Family Ambassadors, local and national carer organisations and support for young carers. An A-Z of mental health conditions and information on medicines and pharmacy complete this area.

Getting help and urgent support

The trust sets out several routes for people seeking help with their mental health, including its Staying Well services, NHS Talking Therapies Services, emotional support for refugees and Complex Emotional Needs (CEN) Services. It also explains what a mental health crisis is and provides dedicated pages on suicidal feelings. Among the contact options listed are texting SUSSEX to 85258 and using NHS 111 by selecting the mental health option.

Research, governance and involvement

The organisation runs a research department with defined research themes centred on mental health and dementia, research clinics, and both mental health and dementia research studies, alongside previous studies. It invites participation in research, offers ways to shape research through lived experience and maintains a research network, with a separate area of guidance for researchers and for working with industry partners. It also operates a library and knowledge service and participates in the Kent, Medway and Sussex Secure Data Environment for research.

On governance, the trust documents how it is run through its Board of Directors, Council of Governors and board meetings, and publishes organisational plans, policies and information on equality, diversity, inclusion and human rights, including a Patient and Carer Race Equality Framework. It also covers its electronic patient record system and a Freedom to Speak Up route. Public involvement channels include becoming a member or governor, volunteering, Experts by Experience, peer support and work experience.

Strategy and University Hospital status

The trust presents a 2025–2030 strategy and has been awarded 'University Hospital' status, a designation it explains on its own pages. It also works within the Surrey and Sussex Integrated Care System, where it addresses the transformation of community mental health services and improvement of mental health urgent and emergency care services, and takes part in Provider Collaboratives.

Working for the trust

Recruitment information covers latest vacancies, the recruitment process, recruitment incentives, bank work and partner vacancies, together with material on working at the organisation: ways of working, inclusive recruitment, rewards and benefits, career profiles and living and working in Sussex. Career pathways are set out separately for nursing and health care support workers, psychological professions, social workers, allied health professionals, and corporate and support services, complemented by professional development, apprenticeships, preceptorships and Return to Practice routes.

Head office

The trust's head office is at Portland House, Richmond Road, Worthing, West Sussex BN11 1HS.