Understanding what works and supporting provision of nature-based therapeutic

Tender description

The Government’s 25 Year Environment Plan (25 YEP) was published in January 2018 , setting out government action to help the natural world regain and retain good health. Key aims of the plan are to help people improve their health and wellbeing by using green spaces and connect people more systematically with green space to improve mental health, using the natural environment as a resource for preventative and therapeutic purposes . This research aims to deliver greater understanding and insight to inform and support provision of nature-based therapeutic interventions for people with mental illness; how these could be planned, delivered and embedded further in practice including at larger scale. This research will review available evidence and existing practice to identify effective interventions and models of delivery in the provision of nature-based mental health therapies. The project aims to deepen our understanding of what works, for whom, in what circumstances, and why. It should identify the kind of interventions and delivery models that demonstrate the greatest benefits to service users and support sustainability. The research will provide in-depth insight into the barriers and challenges to effective provision of nature-based therapeutic interventions and identify successful strategies and models to improve and build upon current practice. It should also present best practice examples of where high quality nature-based therapeutic interventions have been offered and where implementing new strategies have resulted in increased interest and uptake by people with an identified mental illness, identifying any resources which could be used to support, share and spread learning. It should identify opportunities to support the health and voluntary sectors to develop more systematic approaches to offering and delivering nature-based mental health therapies at scale. The project is expected to last 12 months, from February 2019 to January 2020.