It’s been a year of progress, partnership, and purpose at LYPFT.
In 2024–2025, we’ve responded to growing demand with innovation and compassion, improving crisis care, transforming community services, and tackling health inequalities. Our teams have gone above and beyond, and I’m proud of the difference they make every day.
We’ve launched a pioneering pilot in York for deaf adults aged 18–25, offering specialist mental health assessments and short-term interventions. Our Perinatal Mental Health Service was rated ‘Good’ by the Care Quality Commission, a testament to the safe, person-centred care we provide to mothers and babies. These achievements reflect our commitment to inclusive, high-quality services.
We’ve also embraced new ways of working. From digital upgrades that streamline care to adopting the Patient Safety Incident Response Framework, we’re building a culture of learning, transparency, and continuous improvement. Our focus on staff wellbeing and recognition, through initiatives like the “Spotlight” platform, continues to strengthen our workplace culture.
This year, we launched a refreshed five-year strategy: Improving the Health and Lives of the Communities We Serve. Co-designed with staff, service users, and partners, it sets out a bold, shared vision for the future. Alongside it, we introduced a new strapline that captures who we are and what we stand for:
“Leading the way in mental health, learning disability and neurodiversity care.”
To our staff, service users, and partners, thank you. Your passion, resilience, and commitment continue to inspire and drive everything we do.
The Health Service Journal (HSJ) released its ranking of 2024’s top Chief Executives, with Sara Munro being placed 9th out of 50.
This year has brought both challenge and opportunity across the NHS, and I’m proud of how our Trust has responded, with focus, compassion, and a clear sense of purpose.
While national financial pressures remain, our priorities haven’t changed. We’re working hard to improve the experience of our service users and reduce costs in ways that protect care quality. That includes reducing out-of-area placements and building a more stable, skilled workforce through apprenticeships, career development, and making Leeds and York Partnership a great place to work.
I’m pleased to report a year of stability at Board level, with a recent review confirming we are a “credible and capable team.” Our Council of Governors has welcomed new members, and I’d like to thank Les France for his dedicated service as Lead Governor, and welcome Ian Andrews into the role.
What continues to inspire me most is the dedication of our staff. Across every service, I’ve seen people go the extra mile to treat service users as individuals with empathy, dignity, and care. Our commitment to co-production is growing too, with service users shaping everything from governance to research.
We’ve also strengthened our partnerships across Leeds and West Yorkshire. From shared staffing solutions to collaborative service delivery, we’re working together to meet the needs of our communities more effectively than ever.
To our staff, governors, partners, and service users, thank you. Your commitment is what makes this Trust a place of progress, compassion, and hope.
This year has tested our resilience, but it has also reaffirmed our values. Every financial decision we made was guided by a commitment to protect the care we provide and the people who deliver it.
In 2024–25, the Trust faced one of its most financially challenging years to date, operating with a monthly deficit of £1 million. The Trust had to make difficult decisions to reduce costs, but in an ethical way that protected services and maintained quality care.
Despite these pressures, the Trust ended the year in a strong financial position, with a net increase in taxpayers’ equity* of £13.7 million, bringing the total to £135.1 million as of 31 March 2025. This reflects a year of careful stewardship, including a generated surplus, asset revaluation, and public dividend capital received.
The Trust delivered a £13.4 million programme in year; due to the capital limit in place, expenditure was focused on care-agreed priorities.
Financial insight: £276.5 million was the total operating expenses for the year.
*Jargon buster: Taxpayer equity refers to the financial stake or net worth of a government, reflecting the difference between its assets and liabilities.
“Despite a challenging economic climate, we’ve maintained stability, invested wisely, and stayed true to our mission. Our focus remains on delivering high-quality, equitable care while ensuring the Trust’s long-term sustainability.”
— Dawn Hanwell, Chief Financial Officer
We believe that when our people thrive, our services do too. Supporting staff wellbeing and championing inclusive leadership are not just values, they’re the foundation of a culture where everyone feels empowered, respected, and able to make a difference.” – Darren Skinner, Director of People and Organisational Development
Raymond Dunk, Support Worker
Joseph Owusu, Staff Nurse
Anna Selassie, Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist
Spotlight Recognition Platform: Weekly staff and team celebrations: In total the Trust sent 9,436 Ecards, including 5,986 to say thank you to colleagues.
Each month, we celebrate our Research Heroes, clinicians and collaborators who bring lived experience, curiosity, and evidence together to shape the future of mental health care. Their dedication drives better outcomes for our service users and services.
We celebrate success in health industry awards.
Errol was recognised for his work with both NHS Leeds Perinatal Partners Peer Support Service and Leeds Dads.
He received the National BAME Health and Care Award for Outstanding Community Organisation award and the UNISON Yorkshire and Humberside Community award.
Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and Deadline Digital won silver in the ‘Best Documentary Style Video’ category at the 2025 Lens Awards. This was for a film produced with our CONNECT Eating Disorders Service and called Jakes Story.
Clinical Psychologists Dr. Katie Splevens and Laura Edmeade have received an Annual Recognition Award in Trauma for their exceptional clinical initiative improving practice and outcomes for service users.
BAME Awards - Errol Murray
PPIMH - Op Courage
PPIMH - Red Kite View
PPIMH - CREST
Lens Awards - Jakes Story
Recognising Excellence in Trauma Care - Kate Splevens and Laura Edmeade
Substantive response rate 2024: 49.5% 0.7% less than the previous year.
Bank response rate 2024: 23.8% 3.4% less than the previous year.
• 37 completed an apprenticeship during the year
• 58 people started an apprenticeship during the year
• Values-Based Recruitment: Emphasising lived experience
• Manager 360 and Collective Leadership: Supporting team cohesion
• Apprenticeships and Career Pathways: Including flipped recruitment
• Mary Seacole Celebration Event: Honoured inclusive leadership
• 182 staff completed Cultural Competency Training
• Civility and Respect Programme: New Values and Behaviours Charter and mediation services
• Workforce Race Equality Networks “Stories to Inspire and Empower”: Promoting honesty and lived experience through storytelling
“Our first Improving Health Equity Strategy provides a framework to ensure better access, and experience of services, harnessing the energy and determination to address the health inequality faced by people across the population we serve.”
Improving Health Equity• 46 trained Wellbeing Champions to support their team members.
• 108 CrISSP sessions delivered and 500 staff supported through CrISSP.
We’ve delivered new Multi-Faith Chaplaincy Resource Boxes across the Trust. These offer faith and non-faith items for service users, plus staff guidance on inclusive spiritual support.
Story telling focus shift, featuring staff, service user, family and carer experiences and NHS career journeys within the Trust. We saw an increase in growth across the board, as users shared our celebrations and achievements.
LinkedIn – 18.1k (+3.8k)
Facebook – 5k (+156)
Instagram – 268 (+65)
Our internal staff newsletter received a revamp, new design and new Microsoft Form submission process to make it easier for staff to submit news for the Trust, improving accessibility for all who use it.
“Thanks for all that you do and for making the improvements – it does make such a difference”. – Jo Riley, Recruitment Officer
New intranet accessible on any device
Celebrated staff, services and service user stories
“Delivering great care means more than meeting clinical standards, it’s about listening, learning, and evolving with the people we serve. Every new service, every innovation, is a step toward more compassionate, inclusive, and effective mental health care.” Dr Chris Hosker, Medical Director
A new mental health assessment service for deaf adults aged 18–25 was piloted at the York site.
Launched to provide a clear, accessible entry point for people in mental health crisis.
Coincided with LYPFT’S single point of access becoming for professional-only referrals.
Acute teams began responding to category 3–5 mental health-related 999 calls, reducing unnecessary A&E admissions and improving crisis response.
Transitioned from one crisis team and three home treatment teams to three integrated crisis and home treatment teams across Leeds.
A new clinical research hub was launched to support evidence-based practice and innovation in mental health care.
Ward 5 at Newsam centre is being transformed into a high-intensity rehab service, aligned with national commissioning guidelines. The service will relocate to a newly refurbished Parkside lodge.
Trust will become the lead provider for regional perinatal services.
Plans include expanding inpatient care for mothers and babies to be completed in late 2025.
Rolled out across 66 sites, enabling 24/7 digital access to patient records, improving efficiency and care quality.
Making the information on our website more accessible to more people, especially those with disabilities and communications needs
New day service at Mill Lodge for children with eating disorders offers a fresh model of care that better supports young people and their families.
Over 1,000 people benefited from more joined-up support, faster access to therapies, through integrated teams from the NHS, social care, and voluntary sectors.
A GP partnership has transformed care, ensuring consistent medical cover and safer, more personalised medicines management.
A 7-day Enhanced Bed Management Team is being trialled to improve patient flow and reduce out of area placements. Bed modelling for male services and PICU has been completed and is under review.
Faster help, closer to home, with care that reflects our values. We act with integrity, keep things simple, and always show we care, so you get the support you need, when and where it matters most.
Co-production is a way of working for us. Across our services, people with lived experience are not just consulted; they are collaborators, co-creators, and changemakers.
“Through trauma-informed care, inclusive community programmes, and redesigned inpatient spaces, our partnerships are reshaping how we deliver care. These stories highlight the power of collaboration in building better services together.” – Nichola Sanderson, Director of Nursing and Professions
Sometimes, the smallest changes make the biggest difference. That’s the philosophy behind the Feel Good Mealtimes project, a collaboration between the Trust’s Speech and Language Therapy and Research and Development teams. After listening to service users who described mealtimes as stressful and noisy, the team co-developed the C.H.O.I.C.E.S. framework, a simple, person-centred tool to help staff tailor mealtime experiences to individual needs.
At Asket Croft Rehabilitation Unit, staff and service users are now working together to make meals more inclusive, calm, and enjoyable. The project is already improving wellbeing and recovery, with a full evaluation planned for summer 2025.
Research and Development
From the very beginning, young people and their families were involved in shaping the service, from the design of the building to the creation of the Red Kite View Charter. This collaborative spirit has not only created a space that feels safe and supportive but has also led to national recognition.
In 2024, Red Kite View won the Children and Young People’s Mental Health Services Award at the Positive Practice in Mental Health Awards. Since opening in 2022, the unit has helped reduce the length of stay for young people and brought care closer to home. It’s a place where lived experience isn’t just heard, it’s leading the way.
How co-production leads to positive practice at Red Kite View
Co-production has been central to Community Mental Health Transformation. Lived experience partners played a vital role in shaping trauma-informed practices, ensuring services reflect the real needs of those they support.
Their involvement went beyond consultation, they co-designed messaging and oversaw implementation. As one lived experience member shared, “Being part of this work allowed me to channel my experiences into meaningful change, ensuring that others receive the kind of care and recognition that I once needed.” This collaborative approach is helping to embed empathy, authenticity, and equity into mental health care delivery.
Transforming Community Mental Health Services
Diversity and lived experience are not just valued, they are vital. From co-producing trauma-informed care to shaping inclusive services, volunteers from a wide range of backgrounds have played a central role in transformation efforts.
Volunteers and service users from underrepresented communities have helped design culturally tailored workshops, such as the Sikh Mental Health sessions and the Diverse Mums’ Group, which use creative expression to tackle isolation and stigma.
As one participant reflected, “It’s empowering to be heard and to help shape services that truly reflect our communities.” This inclusive approach ensures that care is not only clinically effective but also culturally resonant and equitable.
Get involved - volunteering
Research isn’t just about data, it’s about people. In 2024-25, 275 service users, carers, and staff took part in 39 ethically approved research studies across 15 clinical services.
One participant shared, “The staff member I interacted with showed empathy and patience.
They reminded me to check in, and I felt heard.”
Another said, “The knowledge the team had about diabetes and mental health was beneficial to me.”
These stories reflect the human side of research, where curiosity meets compassion.
Research
Equity is at the heart of transformation, with the Patient and Carer Race Equality Framework (PCREF) marking a bold step forward. As one of the national early implementer sites, the Trust has embedded co-production into every layer of this work, establishing a dedicated advisory board made up of lived experience partners and community representatives.
This group is shaping how services address racial disparities and promote anti-racist practice. “This isn’t just consultation, it’s collaboration,” said one advisory board member. “We’re building services that reflect our realities and our hopes.” Through PCREF, the Trust is setting a new standard for inclusive, accountable mental health care.
Patient and carer race equality frameworkCo-production doesn’t end at the point of care, it continues through every conversation, every piece of feedback, and every shared story. At LYPFT, we believe that those with lived experience are not just participants in our services, they’re partners in shaping them.
From volunteers and service users to carers and community members, their voices are helping us listen better, learn faster, and care more deeply.
Our “Have Your Say” feedback tool gave over 2,000 people a voice this year. With 88–94% of respondents rating their experience as positive each month, we’re proud, but we’re not stopping there. Drop-in sessions, QR codes, and even British Sign Language videos are helping us reach more people in more ways. Volunteers, many with lived experience, are helping others feel heard and hopeful.
From co-designing staff training to shaping recruitment panels, 82 lived experience partners were involved in 66 projects this year. Whether it was improving perinatal services or making our website more accessible, their voices were central. As one partner put it, “Being seen and heard gave me confidence and hope.”
The Service User Network (SUN) is more than a meeting, it’s a movement. With over 60 members attending throughout the year, SUN is co-chaired by lived experience leaders and has influenced everything from trauma-informed care to digital accessibility. One member said, “Being part of SUN gave me purpose and a voice.” That voice is now shaping services across the Trust.
In 2024–25, we received 174 formal complaints and 631 compliments. But behind every number is a story. One complaint led to a new induction process for agency staff, ensuring safer, more compassionate care. Meanwhile, compliments poured in for staff who “listened,” “understood,” and “made a difference.” We’re using every piece of feedback to grow, learn, and improve.
The Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) handled 2,719 contacts this year, many resolved within a day. Whether it was a question about meal options or a concern about communication, PALS was there to help. One service user shared, “They didn’t just listen, they acted.” That’s the kind of responsive care we strive for.
We continue to be appreciative for the tireless work of our volunteers at the Trust, with 133 individuals generously giving their time to support staff and service users across a range of services, from supporting Have Your Say feedback sessions to offering companionship on our inpatient wards. Impressively, 63 of these volunteers have been with the Trust for over six months. As one volunteer shared, “Being here gives me a sense of purpose. I know I’m making a difference, even in small ways.”
This year, we focused on three key priorities to strengthen how we deliver safe, equitable, and transparent care:
We’re building a smarter way to track quality across the Trust. The new dashboard brings together data from service visits, feedback, and performance reports, giving teams and leaders a clearer picture of what’s going well and where support is needed.
“It’s about making data meaningful, so we can celebrate what’s working and act where support is needed.” Quality Strategic Plan, 2024–25
We’ve drafted a core set of indicators and are now testing them in practice. This feedback will shape a final version that’s useful at every level, from frontline teams to Board decision-making.
In 2024, we adopted the national Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF), a major step forward in how we learn from incidents and improve care. PSIRF shifts the focus from blame to understanding, helping us respond with compassion, fairness, and a commitment to learning.
“It’s about understanding how incidents happen, not who to blame, so we can make care safer for everyone.” – Patient Safety Strategic Vision, 2024–25
Our vision is to embed PSIRF across the Trust, ensuring every incident response is thoughtful, proportionate, and focused on improvement. In July 2024, we launched a new policy and response plan that aligns with our values of integrity, simplicity, and caring.
Health inequalities are not just statistics, they’re lived realities. At LYPFT, we’re committed to ensuring that everyone, regardless of background, receives compassionate, high-quality care that meets their needs.
“Equity in health is not a privilege; it is a right. Through collective action, lived experience, and unwavering commitment, we are building a future where every person, regardless of background, ability, or circumstance, has access to compassionate, high quality care and the opportunity to live
a healthier life.” – Sophie Valinakis, Head of Health Equity
The evidence is clear, and it presents an opportunity for meaningful change. Significant and avoidable disparities in health outcomes persist across our communities.
The following figures illustrate the scale and urgency of the challenge we face.
Equity is care that sees the whole person. By acting with integrity, showing we care, and keeping things simple, we’re working to break down barriers, so no one’s health or future is limited by who they are or where they live.
In November 2024, we launched our new five-year strategy, Improving the Health and Lives of the Communities We Serve 2025-2030. Co-designed with staff, service users, and partners, it sets a bold direction for the future of care at LYPFT. The strategy is more than a document; it’s a shared vision. It’s supported by refreshed branding, a new strapline, and a commitment to values-based leadership, inclusion, and innovation.
Throughout 2024/25, our Communications Team helped bring the strategy to life. From the high readership Wellbeing Wednesday newsletter to a revitalised Trustwide bulletin now read by the majority of staff, we’ve kept people informed and inspired.
“From values-based recruitment to inclusive events and community transformation, our strategy is already shaping how we work, connect, and care – laying the foundation for a healthier, more inclusive future.” – Oliver Tipper, Head of Communications.
At the start of 2024, we refreshed our People Plan to ensure it reflects our ambition to lead the way in mental health, learning disability, and neurodiversity care. Covering 2024-2027, the plan is reviewed quarterly and was shaped in collaboration with colleagues across the Trust and aligned with the NHS Workforce Plan.
The Trust’s refreshed Estates Strategic Plan (2025–2030), approved in March 2025, sets out a vision for delivering high-quality, flexible, and sustainable spaces that support modern care and align with the One Public Estate approach. A key focus is preparing for the end of our Private Finance Initiative contracts in June 2028, aiming to bring sites under Trust control.
As a partner in the West Yorkshire Infrastructure Plan, we’re committed to optimising our estate, ensuring it is safe, fully utilised, digitally enabled, and supports our carbon net zero goals. This strategy reflects both local and national NHS priorities.
Originally launched in January 2022, our Green Plan has been refreshed and approved by the Board for the 2025-2028 period. It outlines our environmental sustainability strategy, setting clear actions for the next three years and establishing governance to keep us on track.
Our vision is ambitious: to achieve net zero carbon ahead of schedule and be recognised as an exemplar mental health trust. We’re committed to involving staff and service users at every step, weaving sustainability into all aspects of our work.
“Sustainability isn’t a side project; it’s a shared responsibility. Together, we’re creating a greener, healthier future for the communities we serve.” Green Plan Vision, 2025–2028
We’re also working closely with local partners to share best practices and secure investment to transform our estate into a net zero carbon environment.
Our leadership is driven by a commitment to delivering high-quality, person-centred care. Our Board of Directors is responsible for the strategic and operational oversight of the Trust, ensuring we meet our objectives and regulatory obligations. The Board comprises a balanced mix of Executive and Non-Executive Directors, bringing together a wealth of experience and diverse perspectives.
Our Council of Governors plays a vital role in shaping the future of our Trust by representing the views of our members and the wider public. NHS England requires each foundation trust to have a Lead Governor. Les France’s term as Lead Governor ended on 8 November 2024, and Ian Andrews was elected as the new Lead Governor from 9 November 2024 for a period of two years. The Lead Governor acts as a key point of contact for governors, presents at the Annual Members’ Meeting to account for the Council’s work over the past year, and is involved in the appraisal of the Chair of the Trust (alongside the Senior Independent Director) and the other Non-Executive Directors (with the Chair of the Trust).
As of 31 March 2025, our Trust had 13,907 members across three constituencies: public, service user and carer, and staff. This number has remained steady throughout the year. We are committed to maintaining a membership that reflects the diversity of our communities. A recent review confirmed our membership is broadly representative in terms of ethnicity, gender, and age.
Rather than focusing solely on numbers, we prioritise meaningful engagement. The Council of Governors continues to support the development of our membership database and leads on engagement initiatives. We welcome new members from the public, staff, service users, carers, and families. Becoming a member is a great way to stay informed, have your say, and help shape our services.
To get involved or speak with the Trust or our governors, contact the Membership Office on 07977 327628 or email ftmembership.lypft@nhs.net.
As we look to the future, the landscape of the NHS is shifting. With NHS England set to be fully dissolved and its functions brought back under direct control of the Department of Health and Social Care, the NHS is entering a period of significant reform.
This shift is part of a wider reform agenda, anchored by a bold new 10-Year Health Plan that aims to reshape the system around three core principles: moving care from hospitals into communities, embracing digital innovation, and prioritising prevention over treatment.
For Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, this shift presents both challenges and opportunities, to evolve, collaborate more locally, and continue delivering high-quality, person-centred care in a changing landscape.
We face an £18.5 million efficiency challenge and a reduced capital allocation, requiring tough decisions and careful prioritisation. Workforce pressures continue, but so do opportunities to rethink roles, invest in skills, and build a more resilient, inclusive organisation.
“It’s not about being invited to the table; it’s about helping to set the agenda.”-Lived Experience Partner
Despite the uncertainty, we are well-positioned to respond. Our refreshed People Plan, strong governance, and culture of innovation provide a solid foundation. Most importantly, our commitment to coproduction remains unwavering.
In 2025-26, we will deepen our partnerships with people who have lived experience, embedding their voices in clinical teams, training, and service design.
Appendix.
Our Trust in numbers
Contract type
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