Penumbra Mental Health

What Penumbra Mental Health does

Penumbra Mental Health is a Scottish charity founded in 1984 and headquartered in Edinburgh that provides dedicated mental health services for adults and young people experiencing mild to serious and enduring mental ill health. The organisation operates across 23 of Scotland's Health and Social Care Partnerships with approximately 500 staff, including two 24/7 crisis centres (Hope Point in Dundee and the Edinburgh Crisis Centre), supported accommodation, the Suicide Bereavement Support Service, the Self-Harm Network Scotland (with digital portal and live chat), the Distress Brief Intervention programme, suicide prevention services, and Alcohol Related Brain Damage (ARBD) recovery support. Penumbra is the largest employer of mental health peer workers in Scotland, with around 27% of staff in peer support roles, and serves 10,599 people annually (up from 6,252 in 2020).

The organisation's core technology assets are its proprietary recovery measurement tools: the I.ROC (Individual Recovery Outcomes Counter), the youth-focused Y.ROC, and the underlying HOPE framework (Home, Opportunity, People, Empowerment). I.ROC and HOPE are registered trademarks, validated academically with Abertay University, and used by over 60 organisations across the UK and Europe, including academic consortia in the Netherlands, Spain, Belgium, Finland, and Czechia. Digital delivery infrastructure consists of an online self-referral system (72-hour response), the Self-Harm Network Scotland portal with live chat (6pm-10pm daily), and standard web and social channels for community engagement and fundraising. No AI or ML systems are evidenced in the input.

The business model is non-profit and government-commissioned. Core revenue comes from contracts with NHS boards, Health and Social Care Partnerships, and local authorities, supplemented by charitable donations (PayPal giving), community fundraising events (Kiltwalk, marathons, Tough Mudder), legacy gifts in wills, and targeted grants such as the £50,000 Tesco Bags of Help Centenary Grant (2020). All services are free at point of use, and the customer base consists exclusively of public-sector commissioners rather than commercial buyers; international I.ROC uptake is positioned as practice-influence rather than a revenue line.

Name

Penumbra Mental Health

Legal name

Penumbra Mental Health

Website

https://penumbra.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Penumbra Mental Health is a Scottish charity providing crisis, recovery, peer support, and accommodation services to adults and young people with mental ill health, employing approximately 500 staff across 23 Health and Social Care Partnerships and developing the trademarked I.ROC recovery tool used internationally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mental Health Services

NAICS

Social Assistance (624), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGACAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGAEAH)

Keywords

• Mental health services
• Crisis support
• Suicide prevention
• Peer support
• Supported accommodation

Headquarters

HQ city

Edinburgh

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Government Commissioning: Services commissioned by NHS, Health and Social Care Partnerships, and local authorities across Scotland. Core funding model for mental health services, crisis support, and national programmes.
2. Charitable Donations: Individual donations through PayPal and other fundraising platforms. Community supporters donate to support frontline services.
3. Fundraising Events: Community fundraising activities including Kiltwalk, marathons, Tough Mudder, and other events. Fundraisers often personal (tribute to service users, lived experience).
4. Legacy Gifts (Wills): Gifts in Wills programme - supporters can include Penumbra in their estate planning.
5. Grant Funding: Specific project grants such as Tesco Bags of Help (£50,000 centennial grant for young people's mental health project) and Alliance Self-Management Fund.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Penumbra Mental Health is a charity providing recovery-focused mental health services for adults and young people across Scotland, including 24/7 crisis support, suicide prevention and bereavement support, self-harm services, peer support, supported accommodation, and national programmes such as the Distress Brief Intervention. Services are delivered through commissioned partnerships with NHS and local authorities, supported by approximately 500 staff across community settings, crisis centres, and digital portals, all free at the point of use.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• I.ROC (Individual Recovery Outcomes Counter): A recovery outcomes measurement tool developed by Penumbra, providing a foundation for conversations about what matters most to people in their recovery journey. Used by over 80 organisations worldwide.
• HOPE Framework
• Self-Harm Network Scotland
• Hope Point
• Edinburgh Crisis Centre
• Suicide Bereavement Support Service
• Distress Brief Intervention (DBI)

Products and services

• 24/7 Crisis Centres (Hope Point Dundee and Edinburgh Crisis Centre) Round-the-clock crisis intervention services for adults experiencing mental health crisis, delivered at two 24/7 walk-in centres in Dundee (Hope Point) and Edinburgh, accessed via self-referral and partner agency referrals including NHS 24.
• Suicide Bereavement Support Service Bereavement support for adults bereaved by suicide, providing trauma-informed support following suicide loss. Piloted in Ayrshire and Arran from August 2021 and expanded to Highlands and Argyll and Bute via a second pilot site in 2023.
• Angus Suicide Prevention Support Service Support service for adults in Angus experiencing thoughts of suicide, including safety planning, crisis support, and recovery-focused intervention, commissioned by Angus Health and Social Care Partnership.
• Self-Harm Network Scotland Recovery-focused support service for people who self-harm, those supporting someone who self-harms, and professionals, delivered via an online portal with live chat (6pm-10pm daily) and locality-based services in Dundee, Glasgow, and Highlands & Islands.
• Distress Brief Intervention (DBI) Programme Early intervention support programme for people in emotional distress, with Penumbra acting as a third sector delivery partner alongside NHS boards (NHS Lanarkshire, NHS Borders) and other third sector partners such as SAMH and Support in Mind.
• ARBD (Alcohol Related Brain Damage) Recovery Support and Toolkit Recovery-focused support service for individuals with Alcohol Related Brain Damage, including the first-of-its-kind self-management and recovery toolkit, focusing on personal strengths, life skills, and abstinence support.
• Supported Accommodation Services (including St Stephen's, Borders Supported Living Services, and Dundee Nova) Supported living and accommodation services for adults on their mental health recovery journey, including St Stephen's supported accommodation (Edinburgh), Borders Supported Living Services, and Dundee Nova, with Care Inspectorate top marks for quality.
• Community-Based Mental Health Support and Peer Support Services Community-based 1-to-1 keyworking, groupwork, and peer support services delivered in people's homes, community centres, and other local venues via face-to-face, phone, and video support, with 27% of Penumbra's workforce employed in peer support roles.
• I.ROC (Individual Recovery Outcomes Counter) Wellbeing Measurement Tool Registered trademark recovery measurement tool using the HOPE framework (Home, Opportunity, People, Empowerment) with 12 indicators, used by over 60 organisations across the UK and Europe to measure and support recovery outcomes in mental health.
• Y.ROC Recovery Outcomes Counter for Young People Recovery Outcomes Counter designed for young people, extending the HOPE framework (Home, Opportunity, People, Empowerment) to youth populations for measuring and supporting mental health recovery.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100 people supported by Angus Suicide Prevention Service in first 6 months
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

23 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Edinburgh Health and Social Care PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunding partner for mental health services including St Stephen's supported accommodation. Partnership involves co-design of services with service users, carers, and staff.
• City of Edinburgh CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTransformed sheltered housing into supported accommodation. Coordinated refurbishment of St Stephen's property through housing team.
• Abertay UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner validating I.ROC recovery measurement tool through partnership in development and refinement.
• Mental Health EuropecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing membership strengthening practice through shared learning, widening partnerships, and voice in shaping mental health services across Europe.
• Scottish Recovery NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndependent network hosted and supported by Penumbra since 2004, promoting recovery approach to mental health across Scotland.
• Carr GommsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in St Stephen's service providing day-to-day access to health and social care support alongside NHS Lothian and Volunteer Edinburgh.
• NHS LothiancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in St Stephen's service providing community mental health services and 24/7 supported community placements.
• Volunteer EdinburghsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in St Stephen's service supporting tenants to develop recovery and community connections.
• NHS LanarkshirecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead NHS partner for Distress Brief Intervention programme with Penumbra as third sector partner.
• NHS BorderscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNHS partner in DBI programme alongside third sector partners.
• SAMHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThird sector partner in Distress Brief Intervention programme nationwide expansion.
• Support in MindcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThird sector partner in DBI programme and Suicide Bereavement Support Service.
• National Suicide Prevention Leadership Group (NSPLG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerScottish Government group made up of Penumbra, SAMH, Support in Mind, and Samaritans implementing Every Life Matters suicide prevention action plan.
• See Me ScotlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerScotland's programme to tackle mental health stigma and discrimination. Penumbra contributed to collective formation.
• Future PathwayscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirst Alliance in Scotland, supporting survivors of in-care abuse. Delivered in partnership.
• In Care Survivors AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPenumbra delivers Redress Support Service providing trauma-informed support to people at all stages of redress journey.
• Mental Health FoundationsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey partner in Scotland for Mental Health Awareness Week, one of Penumbra's key partners.
• Pro Persona (Netherlands)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerDutch mental health provider in I.ROC research consortium, contributing to validation and academic evidence base.
• Indigo, MET ggz, GGZ Drenthe, GGz Breburg, Lentis (Netherlands)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerDutch organisations forming growing community of researchers and clinicians adding to I.ROC practice and academic evidence base.
• Stirling UniversitysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner for evaluation of DBI programme expansion.
• Glasgow UniversitysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner for training component of DBI programme nationwide expansion.
• Change Mental HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner running second pilot site for Suicide Bereavement Support Service in Highlands and Argyll and Bute.
• Care InspectoratecoreOthersRegulatory body that inspects and grades Penumbra's registered services. Has legal right to sample records during inspections.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Scottish Association for Mental Health (SAMH): Scotland's largest national mental health charity, delivering community-based services and national programmes. Co-partner with Penumbra on DBI and the National Suicide Prevention Leadership Group; directly competes for the same HSCP commissioning contracts.
• Support in Mind Scotland: Scottish mental health charity providing community-based support, self-management, and rural services. Co-delivers the Suicide Bereavement Support Service alongside Penumbra and overlaps on national programme delivery.
• Change Mental Health: Scottish mental health charity offering counselling, peer support, and lived-experience programmes. Operates the second Suicide Bereavement Support Service pilot site (Highlands and Argyll and Bute), directly competing with Penumbra for commissioning and donor share.
• Samaritans: UK charity providing 24/7 emotional support and suicide prevention through phone, email, and SMS channels. National Suicide Prevention Leadership Group partner alongside Penumbra; directly comparable crisis-support mission.
• Together for Mental Wellbeing: UK mental health charity delivering community-based recovery, advocacy, and supported living services. Operates an analogous recovery-focused service model with peer support workers, comparable in service mix and target population.
• Richmond Fellowship: UK charity providing supported housing, recovery, and community mental health services. Directly comparable supported accommodation and community support model to Penumbra, with overlapping public-sector commissioner relationships.
• Carr Gomm: Scottish social care charity providing supported living, housing, and community-based services. Co-partner with Penumbra on the St Stephen's supported accommodation service; competes for similar HSCP commissioned contracts.

Broad incumbents

• Mind: UK-wide mental health charity providing information, advocacy, and local services through a federated network. Offers overlapping capabilities in crisis information and community mental health but operates at significantly larger national scale than Penumbra.
• Rethink Mental Illness: Major UK mental health charity providing services, information, and campaigning. Comparable in national footprint and service breadth, with overlapping community mental health and supported housing programmes.

Others

• Mental Health Foundation: UK charity focused on mental health prevention, research, and public awareness. Penumbra's named key partner for Mental Health Awareness Week and a co-campaigner; adjacent rather than directly competing in service delivery.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/penumbra_scot
• Facebookfacebook.com/penumbrainn
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/penumbra-mental-health
• Instagraminstagram.com/penumbra_mh
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@penumbramentalhealth8814

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Penumbra Mental Health