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Mental Health Voice brings together the experiences of people using mental health services across Kent and Medway, ensuring that lived experience helps shape local decision making. This latest report focuses on feedback gathered from people living in Dartford, Gravesham and Swanley between April and June 2026, highlighting emerging trends in mental health support and services across the area.
During the quarter, 90 pieces of feedback were collected, including 65 experiences directly relating to mental health care and support. Feedback came from residents across Dartford, Gravesham and Swanley, with 58% of responses from Dartford and 42% from Gravesham. Women accounted for 62% of respondents, while the largest age group represented was people aged 25 to 34.
Key findings
Mental health crisis services emerge as a growing area of feedback
The proportion of feedback relating to mental health crisis services increased during the quarter, accounting for 12% of all mental health feedback compared with 2% in the previous quarter. People shared a range of experiences, highlighting both positive and negative interactions with crisis support services.
Many respondents praised staff who took the time to listen, provide reassurance and offer compassionate support during periods of acute distress. Crisis services, safe havens and mental health charities were valued by individuals who felt heard, supported and better able to manage their mental health following these interactions.
However, some people described less positive experiences, including feeling dismissed or receiving advice that did not reflect the severity of their circumstances. Concerns were raised about whether some crisis services are consistently able to provide the level of support needed to help people remain safe and well within their communities.
Accessible support remains important
Half of all feedback relating to crisis services highlighted access to support. Respondents described positive experiences of services that were easy to reach, particularly those offering flexible approaches such as text-based support. Quick responses and convenient access routes were seen as important factors in helping people seek help when they needed it most.
Community and specialist mental health services generate the most feedback
The largest area of feedback this quarter related to community mental health teams and specialist mental health services, accounting for 31% of all feedback. This represents a substantial increase compared with the previous quarter, indicating that these services continue to play a significant role in people's experiences of mental health care across Dartford, Gravesham and Swanley.
Supporting improvement through lived experience
Mental Health Voice continues to provide a platform for people to share their experiences of mental health services and support. By bringing together feedback from local communities, these insights help health and care organisations better understand people's needs, identify emerging issues and drive improvements across the mental health system.
Read the full report to explore the findings in more detail and learn how lived experience is helping shape mental health services across Dartford, Gravesham and Swanley.
