Mental health and wellbeing project in London

Looking after number 1

Influencing Mental Health Commissioning

Homeless Link is pleased to confirm that the City Bridge Trust has provided another year’s funding to build on the work of 2010/11. The extended funding is to enable Homeless Link to focus on new mental health commissioning structures in London. The on-going health reforms could have a major impact upon homelessness mental health services in the coming months. Our recent health audit showed that over 70% of clients living in or accessing homelessness services experience mental distress and only 10% reported to be receiving sufficient support.  It is therefore important that services are up to speed about how to ensure the needs of their clients are understood and met by local mental health services.

We will work with six projects in London to support them to influence relevant bodies responsible for mental health commissioning and service delivery to ensure the needs of homeless people are heard within the new structures. The work will feed into the City Bridge Trusts overall aim of Improving London’s mental health, with a specific focus on homelessness. Building on our findings from the last two years we will also be working with projects to:

•    Support homelessness agencies to understand  mental health provision
•    Improve access to mental health services and resources for homeless people

Further information is available in this project summary. We will do this via briefings and events, for more details about the project please contact Kathleen Caper.
 

CITY BRIDGE TRUST PROJECT 2010/11

In 2010/11 Homeless Link worked with 6 services in London to improve mental health services for homeless people. The two main areas we worked around were improving access to statutory services and promoting wellbeing.  We also produced several documents and resources throughout this project. The resources are available to download below:

 Mental health and well-being newsletter

December 2010The City Bridge Trust
April 2011
August 2011

 

Supported by The City Bridge Trust