Our Brand
Dorset Mind is one of
around 125 Local Minds
We are part of the Mind Federation, which provides mental health services in local communities across England and Wales.
Even though we are part of this network, Dorset Mind is independently funded and relies on local fundraising and donations to continue.
All our services are offerings are built with the people of Dorset in mind, so we can tailor the needs of the community we serve best.
Our Vision, Purpose and Aim
Vision:
A community where living with and talking about Mental Health becomes acceptable for everyone.
Purpose:
We connect minds: We bring people together to make change in their communities. We change minds: We speak out and demand better from policymakers and the public. We support minds: We deliver life-changing support.
Our Aim:
We will connect minds by working in partnership and through communities.
We will continue to change minds across the county.
We will develop our offer to support minds in order to reduce the postcode inequality for access.
Equity, diversity and inclusion
We know from decades of proven research that inequality and discrimination negatively affects people’s mental health.
This impact also has a domino effect on those indirectly affected by it, reducing the health and wellbeing of our communities in Dorset.
As a mental health charity, we have a responsibility to address equity, diversity and inclusion in our work. This recognises that everyone should have an equal opportunity but to acknowledge that not everyone has the same starting point and opportunities in life.
More below…
Our approach...
Dorset Mind aims to ensure that people we serve receive accessible mental health support delivered by someone they can relate to; and that those working for our organisation – whether in a paid capacity or giving their time voluntarily – work in a non-judgemental environment in which they feel safe, valued, and confident to be themselves.
We won’t give up striving to be an ever-fairer, more inclusive organisation for the diverse communities we serve and the people we work with. This is because we believe that everyone deserves respect and to be valued equally, whatever their identity and story.
Our approach is framed by 6 key aims:
- Our services will be co-designed, co-developed and regularly monitored to reflect the diversity of communities we aim to support.
- We will take an evidence-based approach to setting our priorities as well as understanding how intersectionality could impact communities.
- We will track our progress towards becoming an ever more representative organisation, reflecting the communities we serve through our staff, volunteer, trustee, and participant make up.
- We will be open and transparent about our approach to challenging inequity, positively inviting challenge to develop our thinking and learning.
- We will develop our human resources team, and our volunteering and trustee recruitment processes to attract and retain more diverse talent, continuing to monitor access to pay and progression opportunities so we can address any inequalities within our organisation.
- We will equip our workforce with the skills, capabilities, and support to advance equity, diversity, inclusion, and equality.
- We will continually strive to offer and promote services in the most inclusive ways we can.