about Us
We offer Peer Support for those with poor Mental Health and those Bereaved by Suicide
Our Story
Zac
Zac was 29 years old and working as a Social Work Assistant when he took his own life whilst recovering from a period of mental ill health in Worcester. He had been affected by poor mental health for many years and struggled to cope with his illness. Zac was loved by many but, unfortunately, he wasn’t always able to love himself or give himself credit for his many achievements.
Behind the Smile is a charity founded by the parents of Zac. We believe that everyone has the right to a good standard of mental health and, where they do not, they should have access to timely and appropriate support services.
Our Purpose
Our purpose is to provide equal, impartial peer support and complementary therapy for all those affected by mental health issues. This may include conventional, complementary, alternative and holistic methods which are concerned with healing mind, body and spirit, thus alleviating symptoms and improving health. We want people to become stronger and more confident in controlling their own lives.
We believe that each of us has the right to timely and appropriate mental health support services to meet our particular needs. When a person is bereaved by suicide we want to be there to support them in their grief and offer practical, knowledgeable support to help them navigate through the formal and day-to-day activities that need to be addressed.
Our Values
Delivering a better life for people affected by mental ill-health is at the heart of everything we do.
Many people suffer from poor self-esteem, loneliness, isolation and have no self-worth or sense of purpose. Many of these issues have been exacerbated throughout the pandemic lockdown.
We feel people deserve to have somewhere they can go to and feel safe, where they can receive respect and support, and experience meaningful change through our services, and where they can learn to live independently and know they do not have to face mental illness alone.
Our Duty to Refer On
Because of the nature of the charity, there may be times when we support people at crisis point. At those times there will be a duty to refer them to appropriate services for specialist intervention that extends beyond the scope of the service we offer.
We will strive to gather consent from the individual but when someone is at risk to themselves or others, we retain the power to override consent as set out in law.
Safeguarding
Protecting people and safeguarding responsibilities should be a governance priority therefore all volunteers will be DBS checked. The charity’s nominated safeguarding officer will be Gaynor Pritchard.
