Scalable Digital Platform for Mental Health Support Signposting

The existing mental health support database is struggling to efficiently handle over 12,000 service listings amid increasing demand. Users face difficulty navigating complex search options, and the platform's infrastructure is inadequate to support current and future traffic. Additionally, the platform lacks optimal accessibility features for diverse user groups, including younger users, and requires enhanced tools for service providers and administrators to manage listings effectively.

A national mental health charity seeking to modernize its platform for connecting individuals to support services across the UK.

• Develop a scalable, high-performance platform supporting over 14,500 service listings with room for future growth.
• Implement an intuitive and simplified search interface with advanced filtering to help users find tailored mental health services easily.
• Design an accessible, fully responsive user interface suitable for diverse age groups and abilities.
• Integrate modern search technologies to improve search accuracy and filtering capabilities.
• Provide analytics tools enabling service providers and administrators to track demand, identify gaps, and make data-driven decisions.
• Reduce platform operating costs, exemplified by targeting a significant decrease in API query costs, facilitating reinvestment in services.

• Robust database schema capable of managing over 14,500+ mental health support services with easy update and management tools.
• Modern, user-friendly interface with simplified navigation, fully responsive across devices, and accessibility compliance.
• Advanced search functionalities using Elasticsearch or comparable technology, enabling detailed filtering by location, support type, provider, and other criteria.
• Integration with email notification services to facilitate communication with users and providers.
• Analytics modules to monitor platform usage, demand trends, and service gaps, accessible to affiliated organizations.
• Secure, scalable cloud hosting environment to support high traffic volumes and future expansion.

• Third-party email notification systems
• External analytics and reporting tools or internally developed dashboards
• APIs for linking with existing support service databases or directories, if applicable

• Platform must be capable of handling a minimum of 10,000 concurrent users without performance degradation.
• Infrastructure should support over 14,500 service listings with potential for future scaling.
• System must meet accessibility standards (e.g., WCAG 2.1) to serve users of all abilities.
• Ensure high security and data privacy compliance, especially for user and provider data.
• Achieve cost efficiencies, targeting at least a 65% reduction in API cost within the first three months of deployment.

The new platform is expected to significantly enhance user experience by enabling easier, quicker access to tailored mental health services, resulting in increased user engagement. It will support over 14,500 service listings efficiently, reduce operational costs substantially (e.g., API costs decreased by 65% in initial months), and empower data-driven decision making by stakeholders through advanced analytics. Overall, it will strengthen the platform's role as a vital resource for mental health support across the UK, facilitating greater reach and impact.