Mental Health Support
ROOTS is SMEF’s culturally inclusive Tier 2 emotional wellbeing support for women (and where relevant, birthing people) from Black and minoritised communities whose needs sit below statutory mental health thresholds but are at risk of escalation without timely, trusted support. ROOTS reduces mental health inequalities by providing early, relationship-based support that addresses barriers such as stigma, language, cultural insecurity, low trust, and complex referral pathways.
ROOTS is not a substitute for NHS mental health services. It is an equity layer that strengthens early help, stabilises wellbeing, and supports appropriate access and escalation into statutory services when needed.
“Roots was chosen as the service name because it reflects a simple but powerful idea.”
When the Roots of a tree are nurtured and supported, the tree becomes stable, healthy and able to grow. Women’s emotional wellbeing is very similar. When the foundations are strengthened through culturally sensitive support, women feel more confident, more grounded and better able to cope with the pressures they face.
Rise | Open up | Overcome | Trust | Strengthen
These five words capture the journey women often experience when they access support. They rise in confidence, open up safely, overcome internal and external barriers, build trust in themselves and the system, and strengthen their emotional foundations. ROOTS therefore works at two levels. It conveys the therapeutic purpose of the service through the metaphor of strong foundations, and it sets out the values that guide the work.
Where Roots fits in the pathway
Purpose: Prevent escalation and crisis by providing early, culturally responsive emotional wellbeing support for people who do not meet (or are not engaging with) statutory thresholds.
Scope: Tier 2 support, typically short-to-medium term, non-clinical/culturally grounded emotional wellbeing interventions, peer spaces where appropriate, and structured navigation/signposting.
Boundaries: ROOTS does not duplicate NHS Talking Therapies, CMHT or PMHS. It complements them by increasing engagement, confidence and readiness to access appropriate services, with clear safeguarding and risk escalation routes.
What We Deliver
Culturally safe emotional wellbeing support that helps women make sense of stress, trauma, anxiety and low mood in a non-stigmatising way.
Early intervention below threshold: stabilisation, coping strategies, emotional literacy and resilience-building to reduce deterioration.
Trust-building and engagement: reducing fear of services; improving confidence to seek help when needed.
Navigation and warm handovers to appropriate statutory/VCSE services, including support to attend appointments and understand options.
Clear safeguarding and escalation: consistent assessment of risk, supervision/debrief, and escalation pathways for crisis or safeguarding concerns.
SMEF recommendations to partners
Commission and embed Tier 2 VCSE support like ROOTS as core mental health inequalities infrastructure, not a short-term add-on, because it prevents escalation and reduces avoidable demand on crisis and acute pathways.
Create clear interfaces between ROOTS and NHS pathways (Talking Therapies, PMHS, primary care, community mental health, crisis) with agreed referral criteria, warm handovers and feedback loops.
Recognise cultural and structural barriers as clinical risk multipliers (stigma, racism, language, trauma, digital exclusion, insecure housing/finances) and resource services accordingly.
Invest in culturally inclusive access: interpretation, accessible information, non-digital routes, and trauma-informed approaches that reduce fear and increase disclosure.
Strengthen workforce cultural competence across partner services so that women are met with respectful, culturally responsive practice when they step into statutory care.
Use community insight to drive service improvement: establish a routine learning loop where ROOTS themes translate into practical pathway and practice changes.
What Success Looks Like
Earlier support and reduced escalation: more women receive help before crisis; fewer “bounces” between thresholds.
Improved wellbeing and coping: demonstrated through simple pre/post measures and qualitative feedback.
Improved access and engagement: increased uptake of appropriate NHS/VCSE support through warm handovers and supported navigation.
Better experience of care and trust: women report feeling listened to, understood and respected.
System change: partners implement agreed improvements (e.g., referral routes, accessible information, culturally responsive practice) informed by ROOTS learning.
Quality and safety: safeguarding and risk escalation applied consistently, supported by supervision and clinical/experienced oversight where appropriate.
Voices from Our Service Users
“I just wanted to say thank you for being so understanding and supportive. Although I have had counselling before, with you I felt at ease and felt that I didn’t need to explain too much about my background. I truly appreciate how comfortable and understood you made me feel during the session.”
Anonymous Service User
"I was reluctant to start counselling sessions as it is not seen as a positive thing to share your worries or concerns outside of the family in my culture. But my mental health was really struggling, and having these sessions has shown me that speaking to someone doesn’t mean the whole world will find out. I have received help and support privately and I feel so much better for it.”
Anonymous Service User
Make a Referral
If you a professional and would like to refer someone from the ethnic minority community for counselling please use this form.
Invitation to Collaborate
We are ready to scale the Roots model across Surrey and beyond. SMEF invites funders, commissioners and research partners to help us expand culturally responsive autism services and amplify the voices of families too often unheard.
SMEF works in partnership with the NHS, local authorities and VCSE organisations to improve access and outcomes. We follow strict safeguarding, confidentiality and GDPR procedures.
