5-Year Strategy (2024 to 2029)

When we began Borderline Support UK in 2020, all we had was a website and an email info service. Today, three years later, we have a peer support program, signposting service, advice and information, and a thriving volunteer program, We couldn’t have done it without the generosity of our volunteers and supporters.

Now we are looking forward to the years to come, and have developed a 5-year strategy to take us forward. We know that treatment and support for people with BPD is lacking. We know people are frequently misdiagnosed, refused treatment or discharged prematurely. Waiting lists are lengthy and sometimes people fall through the cracks.

We want to support people in any way we can, and our strategy outlines what we will do, how we will do it and how we will measure success.

Across the UK we need supporters, volunteers, individuals and organisations to join us, and we hope this strategy is as much a call to action as it is a plan for the future of Borderline Support UK.

In order to put this plan into action, we need to focus on what matters most – supporting people. We are a volunteer-led organisation and this strategy was put together with the help of our trustees, volunteers and supporters and with lived experience at the forefront of our plan.

What will we do?

Our strategic vision is made up of 6 key themes:

  1. Supporting
  2. Connecting
  3. Empowering
  4. Advising
  5. Educating
  6. Campaigning

Supporting

We want to expand our peer support program to offer more online groups and launch face to face groups across the UK. Initially we will launch 14 groups in key areas in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

We will also launch an online support group for people outside of the UK, and specialist groups for those aged 18 to 25.

Alongside our peer support groups, we will also offer:

  • walk and talk groups
  • counsellor-led groups
  • 1:1 peer support

We estimate with this increase in direct support services, we will be able to support approximately 13,000 people per year.

Connecting

We know that BPD can be an incredibly isolating condition, and can cause loneliness. We will launch a range of fully inclusive services aimed at connecting people, and reducing this isolation and loneliness.

We will do this by:

  • befriending services – telephone, email and face-to-face
  • social groups
  • arts and culture groups
  • interactive workshops

We estimate we will support approximately 5,000 people per year.

Empowering

We know that people with BPD are not always well enough to challenge decisions made that they disagree with, such as treatments offered, medications prescribed, or being discharged before they are ready. We want to empower people to be able to use their voice and we will do this by:

  • providing advocacy services
  • producing a comprehensive series of self-help tools and resources
  • developing workshops designed to increase self-confidence

We estimate we will reach approximately 2,500 people.

Advising

We know that people being diagnosed with BPD aren’t always provided the information they need to know in order to recover and live well. We will help people by providing:

  • an advisory and helpline service
  • signposting
  • a social prescribing service
  • a workplace wellbeing program to support employees and employers

Educating

We know that stigma and discrimination is a huge problem in treating and supporting people with BPD, even among the health and social care services. We believe education is key to reducing stigma and discrimination, and the provision of better support and treatment for people with BPD. We aim to provide:

  • specialised online training for health and social care staff
  • awareness training for emergency services
  • awareness training for staff in the justice system including police and probation officers

We aim to reach all NHS trusts & mental health trusts, all police forces, probation services and prisons in the UK.

Campaigning

We know there is much change to be made in the health and social care system in the way that people with BPD are treated and supported. Our campaigns team will work tirelessly with local and national organisations, health and social care organisations and governmental departments to make change happen.

It is essential that more funding is allocated to services across the UK treating people living with Borderline Personality Disorder, and that care is standardised so that patients can receive adequate care regardless of where they live. We want to see the following changes:

  • NCIE guidelines for treatment implemented fully by ALL healthcare professionals, or anyone involved in the care/treatment of someone with BPD.
  • Improved training to be available for all healthcare professionals.
  • Specialist training in borderline personality disorder to be available to social care professionals, police, probation officers and prison officers.
  • Patients to be advised of all treatment options, and not be excluded from accessing them.
  • An overhaul of the ‘crisis’ system including a reduction in response times, and the way people in distress are treated.
  • More support groups and BPD specialist services.

How will we achieve this?

We will work closely with funding organisations to secure the necessary funds to launch services over the next five years. Further developing our volunteering program will allow us to train volunteers to facilitate these services. We will also work collaboratively with local and national organisations, councils and recovery colleges to launch and maintain services.

Who will benefit from these services?

We will support anyone living with BPD, whether diagnosed or not, and also support their partners, parents, friends and carers. While we are UK based, we do get a lot of queries from people outside of the UK and will be keeping that in mind when we develop services.

Over the next five years , with our new services, we aim to support around 32,000 people living with BPD.

Our specialist awareness training will be made available to:

  • 1.2 million staff in the NHS
  • 1.7 million staff in social care
  • 145,000 police officers
  • 7,800 police community support officers
  • 752,00 care support staff
  • 12,00o probation officers
  • 22,000 prison officers.

Our workplace wellbeing services will be available to over 5 million employers in the UK, and available to any of their employees who are living with BPD. We will also offer specialised support to people with BPD who are currently unemployed.

How you can help us reach these goals

There are several ways you can help us reach our goals of providing these services to people living with, or affected by, BPD.

You could: