We are

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We are Community Solutions Consortium

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We are Community Solutions Consortium, a group of West Sussex based health and social care charities who work together to create lasting and impactful change.

We believe that we are better when we work together. By pooling our skills, resources and experience we can create better outcomes for the people we support.

Our impact

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Every year we collectively support tens of thousands of people all across West Sussex. We specialise in working with older people, disabled people, people with learning disabilities, people with sensory impairments, people with mental health issues and family, friends and carers.

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Together we have reached more than 50,000 people across West Sussex.

The impact that we collectively have on West Sussex residents is massive. We help people live independently via a range of services and support.

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Our combined spending power during 2024-25 was more than £22million.

Our collective spending power allows us to shape and influence health and social care within West Sussex and nationally. 

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Between us we employed more than 650 staff across a wide range of roles.

Working together we are a major employer of people in West Sussex and are able to create better outcomes for our workforce. 

Our members

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Community Solutions Consortium membership is comprised of charities providing support and services within West Sussex.

We specialise in working with older people, disabled people, people with learning disabilities, people with sensory impairments, people with mental health issues and family, friends and carers.

Age UK West Sussex, Brighton & Hove

Age UK West Sussex, Brighton & Hove is a local, independent charity that has been supporting older people across the county for over 65 years.

Aldingbourne Trust logo

Aldingbourne Trust support people with learning disabilities and / or autism to reach their potential across Sussex & in Portsmouth.

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Carers Support West Sussex is an independent charity in West Sussex dedicated to improving the support provided to unpaid carers, to enable them to have a good quality of life, access to information, guidance, and encourage independence, to give carers a choice of a life alongside their caring role.

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Citizens Advice West Sussex is an independent, local charity helping people of all ages and backgrounds. Supported by many volunteers.

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Independent Lives is a user-led charity and social enterprise working to change the lives of disabled people, people with support needs and carers.

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West Sussex Mind is an independent local charity. We support people with their mental health, provide specialist training and campaign to improve services and promote understanding. 

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4Sight Vision Support is an independent charity providing specialist advice and support for blind and sight impaired people of all ages across West Sussex enabling them to live life without limits.

Our stories

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At the heart of everything we do are the people we support, their family and carers. Numbers only tell half the story and our true impact can only be communicated through the first hand stories of the people we support.

Emma and her baby

Emma's story

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West Sussex Mind helped to turn Emma's life around after she had her child.

Life became extremely lonely when my first child was born, and my anxiety was really bad. I was anxious all the time, as I didn’t know whether what I was doing with my baby was right or wrong. I was panicking over small things and felt extremely alone, as none of my friends had had babies, so no one really understood what I was going through.

I had the support of my husband, but when he went to work, my anxiety would really kick in and I didn't know what to do. I couldn’t deal with my little girl screaming. My mind would go blank, and I would have to put my daughter down and I felt bad doing this.

I had no one to turn to or ask without feeling judged. I felt like a bad mum because of all the emotions I was feeling. I felt bad that I couldn’t deal with my daughter and her crying.

My daughter was born prematurely at 35 weeks, and we had an extremely tough and emotional three weeks in the neonatal unit with difficulties with my daughter feeding and intense worry that she was going to be okay. I think that the trauma of this made me disconnect and I didn’t bond with my daughter. I really felt low and emotional.

When I went to one of West Sussex Mind’s ‘Families in Mind’ groups – with my mum the first time – I was introduced to other mums and dads who have experienced the same anxiety and loneliness that I felt.

Getting help has helped me to meet other people in comfortable, safe surroundings, where I can talk to other parents and feel more at ease and not judged.

Life has changed for the better. I find it a lot easier now to approach people with babies and children and start chatting. I have made some great friends at the Families in Mind baby group – and so has my daughter – and now we meet up outside of the group.

I am able to care for my baby much better now and with greater confidence. And I know that if I have any queries or need any help, I can contact the mental health support workers at West Sussex Mind. It's lovely to know you have that back-up and can still reach out if you are having bad days.

Getting support has helped boost my confidence since having a baby. Without West Sussex Mind, I honestly do not know where I would be right now as a new mum.

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Jordan

Jordan's story

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Jordan needed help with his housing which Aldingbourne Trust were able to provide.

Jordan is in his late twenties and has autism. Aldingbourne Trust started working with him September 2021. Jordan needed somewhere to live after his grandmother passed away and the property he was living in was sold.

 

Apart from the immediate issue of accommodation, Jordan often felt stressed and had found lockdown extremely difficult - not being able to see his friends or get out and about had been a real challenge.  

 

Jordan felt that his relatives saw him as someone who could not look after himself and interfered in his life to such an extent that he wasn’t able to make his own decisions. He wanted more choice and independence.  

 

With our support, Jordan was able to move to a flat managed by the Aldingbourne Trust. We helped set up his bills and direct debits and have since coached him to be able to manage these himself, along with giving him help and advice on how to keep his new flat clean and how to eat healthily.  

 

Jordan likes to go places and do things, so we have, amongst other things, hiked up the Trundle in Goodwood and visited Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, which was on his bucket list. It is during these trips that we provide Jordan with emotional support and guidance, supporting him to realise his own worth.   

 

Jordan is a motivated young man, with a variety of interests and life goals, however, before he came to us these dreams were lying dormant. Jordan is now thriving, leading a productive and happiy life. He is certainly looking forward to a better future.  

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Katherine

Katherine's story

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4Sight Vision Support helped Katherine who was struggling with her vision.

Katherine, age 17, has Downs Syndrome which affects her vision, including a squint in one eye and no 3D or depth perception. This causes a lack of clarity and fogginess. She is studying catering but had been finding it hard to access the support and equipment she needed and as a result was struggling to keep up and felt very low.

Our Vision Support Advocate – Starting Well (VSA-SW) began by conducting a Low Vision Assessment which, as well as identifying the level of magnification she needed, also highlighted that Katherine suffered from eye strain. Our VSS discussed ways the college could offer support, including enlarging the font size in printed materials and emails, as well as spreading out assessments to allow Katherine’s eyes time to rest. Our VSS also provided yellow filters for her glasses to make her eyes feel more comfortable.

Our VSS conducted a further visit to the college to look at the kitchen area and see which workspace was the most well-lit. Our VSS arranged access to scales with a large display and prompt cards to show her which equipment she needs for the task at hand. This support has made it so much easier and safer for Katherine to continue her learning.

Since these initial meetings, Katherine has grown in confidence and independence. She was even able to attend a meeting with her teacher alone, to discuss further support.

Katherine’s mother said:

“It looks like we are making some progress...the college emails are typed in bigger font and bold too, Katherine has been able to enlarge all her work that has been on the computer, which has pleased her a lot.”

Katherine said

“I feel so much more confident at college now. I never imagined I could be in a meeting on my own and not feel scared. I am very proud of my assessment results and feel much happier.”

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Edith

Edith's story

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Age UK West Sussex, Brighton & Hove supported Edith following a length stay in hospital.

Edith had been in hospital for a long time following a leg amputation. Prior to her admission, Edith had been a very independent woman but following her hospital stay she appeared more dependent and was struggling to adapt.

Age UK’s team supported Edith. They focussed on both her physical and mental health. Edith was offered weekly visits from volunteers who provided her help with shopping, cleaning and arranging her benefits. Edith was also referred to the social prescribing service.

With Age UK’s support, Edith was able to adapt to her new life and was able to secure the day-to-day support she needed to live independently. She gained confidence and saw improvements in her social life. The service enabled Edith to not just survive, but to thrive.

With Age UK’s support the chances of Edith and people like her being readmitted to hospital are greatly reduced.

 

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Mandy's story

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Mandy’s journey from carer to volunteer with Carers Support West Sussex motivated by a desire to give back.

As with most volunteers, there is often a heartfelt motivation to ‘give something back’ to the local community by generously giving their time. Here at Carers Support, we welcome volunteers from all areas of the community and levels of expertise and skills. To make sure we are serving our carers well, the main skills we look for is the ability to listen and have empathy. As you will read in this story, empathy is a skill Mandy brought in abundance to the volunteering team. 

Mandy’s caring role:
Six years ago, Mandy became a full-time carer for her mum who was diagnosed with vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s.  The implications were life changing in every way.  

“I would describe it as the worst and best experience I have had.  It has turned my life upside down and inside out.  I have suffered mentally, emotionally, physically and financially and have learnt so many invaluable lessons along the way with the support of Carers support and other carers which has been the silver lining in what felt like a hopeless and helpless situation.”  

Paying the kindness forward:
Mandy started volunteering with Carers Support around two years ago after she recovered from severe burn out. 
“I was supported hugely by Carers Support at a time when I felt overwhelmed, desperate, lost and alone.” 

One phone call to Carers Support:  led Mandy to a very different place. She was sign posted to relevant links who could help her.  Mandy received weekly phone calls from a Carers Support Volunteer, from the check in and chat service. Mandy received financial advice from the benefits advice service, which resulted in receiving Carers Allowance and attendance allowance for her Mum which relieved some of the pressure and stress. Mandy was offered 1-1 carer coaching, which turned things around with her declining mental health. Mandy’s experience was so profound that she made the decision she was going to “pay my experience forward by becoming a volunteer once I had recovered.”  

What volunteering for Carers Support means to Mandy 
Mandy is passionate about volunteering for carers support having been on the receiving end of all the support. Mandy said,  
“I get a great deal of comfort from being around, listening and talking to carers. I didn’t imagine it would be a two-way exchange, but it definitely is.  To make a positive difference to someone makes me feel I am contributing in a small way to people like me who are supporting and caring for our loved ones. Carers support is an invaluable charity who offer a wealth of support and information. 

I would and do recommend volunteering for Carers support.” 

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Diane

Diane's story

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Diane has been receiving care from Independent Lives for four years and they have helped transform her life.

Di Critchley has been using the Independent Lives care service since 2018. We spoke to her about why she chose Independent Lives for her support, and what she likes most about her support.

"I have used the Independent Lives care service for over 4 years now, and prior to joining I was using a different care provider for 6 years. I’m no stranger to the care sector!

I found Independent Lives after being referred by social services, because my then current provider wasn’t person-centred and didn’t support me in the way I would have liked. I didn’t have a say in how I received my care, and everything was dictated to me. In the end, they dropped my support out of the blue and I was left with nothing.

The difference in the quality of support I received when I joined Independent Lives was immediately obvious. Right from the beginning, I knew that Independent Lives were the best care provider I could ever hope to ask for.

The carers I have now are more like friends than carers. We always have a laugh and joke around, and everything I receive is completely person-centred. They go above and beyond in making sure that I have everything I need. They don’t just follow the care plan I have; they also do lots of other things without me even having to ask. They’re always thinking about exactly what I might want and need. For example, they’ll bring me a newspaper, or some treats for my dog Polly. It’s these little things that make a world of difference in making me feel cared for and respected as a customer.

I only have good things to say about the staff at Independent Lives. The past couple of years have been difficult for everyone, but especially so for carers and those working in social and health care services. The care I have received throughout the Covid pandemic hasn’t faltered for a second, and I take my hat off to the carers who continued to support me. My care has remained excellent, it’s always at a consistently high quality, which I can only applaud. I really can’t thank the staff enough for what they do for me, and for what they do for everyone else they support.

I’m sure Independent Lives will continue to provide the amazing service they always deliver. The care staff and office staff alike are incredible, and I genuinely wouldn’t change any aspect of my care. They are all stars, each and every one of them."

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* Please note - some names, images and details have been altered to protect individuals privacy. Some case studies have been re-written in a first person narrative for ease of reading.

Cost of living

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Members of staff from across the consortium have come together to tackle issues such as the cost of living crisis. Staff work together to better understand the issues being experienced by the people we support and how we can work together to provide more effective and targeted support to those who need it the most.

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Supporting more people now and in the future

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Members of the consortium are working together to develop West Sussex Cares to make it easy for people to get information, advice and support when they need it from the people they trust. The consortiums highlights incude:

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Independent Lives launched PA Pages, an innovative online portal for personal assistants and the people who employ them.

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4Sight Vision Support were awarded with The Queen's Award for Voluntary Service and well as receiving a commendation for their covid-19 support.

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Age UK West Sussex, Brighton & Hove launched a number of new services including dementia support, digital inclusion and bereavement services.

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Aldingbourne Trust supported 115 people into paid work through their supported employment services.

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West Sussex Mind launched Help Point, its information, advice and sign posting service. In its first nine months it supported 1,457 individuals.

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Carers Support West Sussex directly worked with over 8,000 carers in 2024/25 and registers over 330 new carers each month.

In case you missed it

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Incase you missed the last  Community Solutions Consortium impact report, you can download it below. Read about how we worked together to manage covid-19 and breed innovation through our organisations.

Download last year's impact report