Many people with mental health issues have difficulty finding and maintaining high-quality housing. This makes recovery much more complex and often results in a continuous cycle of declining mental health and readmission to hospital. Providing support to enable people with mental health issues to retain suitable accommodation is essential to aid a person’s recovery and reintegration into the community.
The challenges of living independently with mental illness
When people with mental health needs leave hospital, they very often need support to transition back into the community. Some may have very complex mental health issues and may have been in hospital for a long time.
It’s common to see people slip back into old behaviour patterns and habits that may have contributed to the decline in their mental health to begin with. Sometimes vulnerable people need a fresh start in a new area to get away from people who are a negative influence in their life and to help prevent them from falling back into old habits such as drugs, alcohol and not taking prescribed medication, which can all lead to readmission into hospital. This puts extra pressure on an already over-stretched system.
By breaking this cycle we can reduce hospital readmissions and, more importantly, help people move forward and live a fulfilling life.
Why is accommodation support so important?
Recent reports have highlighted how suitable accommodation can support recovery and relieve pressure on the system. The 2014 Department of Health’s report Closing the Gap: Priorities for Essential Change in Mental Health referenced that the provision of housing can reduce episodes of mental illness and improve physical health.
More recently, the Five Year Forward View for Mental Health recommended that an evidence base for specialist housing is established and that more NHS land be made available for supported housing.
Accommodation support from Bridge
Here at Bridge, we are committed to helping people recovering from mental illness to achieve independence and live a fulfilling life. We want people to have choice and control over their life while being supported to work towards their goals.
Bridge housing management services focus on providing safe, high-quality accommodation combined with support to aid recovery. We work in partnership with a range of agencies and groups in the community such as District and Borough Councils as well as registered social landlords (RSLs) and private landlords.
Our aims are:
- To provide an individually tailored accommodation support service for people with mental health issues.
- To help people live independently.
- To support people to maintain their tenancy obligations and behave appropriately in order to retain their accommodation.
- To help people maintain the safety, security and fixtures in their homes.
- To refer and collaborate with any other appropriate services which enable people to retain their housing situation and improve their outcomes.
Bridge housing management services focus on providing safe, high-quality accommodation combined with support to aid recovery for our clients.
Our clients get the support they need from a dedicated named support worker. We find and manage high-quality accommodation in safe areas, which is crucial for recovery. By working closely with partner organisations in the local community, we ensure each and every client gets the tailored support they need to aid recovery.
Providing individualised, client-led support in a community accommodation setting has far-reaching benefits for individuals and the broader health system. We aim to support many more people on this journey towards better mental well-being.
If you have any further questions about Bridge’s housing support service, don’t hesitate to contact us here.
Further reading
Closing the Gap: Priorities for Essential Change in Mental Health
