Tips for supporting others
There are simple ways you can support someone with mental health needs, both by helping them in the moment and by connecting them with the ongoing support they may require.
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Check in
Stop to chat and check in, especially with people who tend to hide or minimise their feelings.
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Simple support
Offer to make them a hot drink or some food to create a more relaxed space to open up a deeper conversation.
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Explore options
Ask if they’d like support and, if so, what support they’d like; many see distress as “normal” and don’t know help is possible.
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Practical help
Help them register with a GP – often the first step to accessing services.
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Appointment support
Offer to book or attend a GP/clinic appointment with them.
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Service connections
Connect them with other helpful services, such as specialist counselling.
Working with mental health services
We have produced detailed guidance on helping people to get the mental health support they need. Here, you can read more about how to engage with primary and secondary care, and what to include in an effective referral.
Tips for supporting your own wellbeing
When you work with someone who is distressed or has mental health needs, it can impact on your own wellbeing. You need to feel safe and well in order to effectively support others.
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Practice self care
Care for your own physical and emotional needs to better support others.
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Be kind to yourself
Working with trauma survivors can be traumatic; finding it hard shows empathy, not weakness.
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Share concerns
Don’t manage difficult situations alone—share concerns with colleagues and use supervision and reflective practice.
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Explore support
In distressing cases, ask your manager about debriefs, counselling, or Occupational Health support.
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Discuss decisions
Discuss decisions with colleagues if unsure - feeling uncertain with complex needs is common.
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Learn collaboratively
Support colleagues’ decisions; collaborative working is a valuable learning tool.
Service design
Many homelessness organisations have developed practices and policies which explore trauma informed care (TIC) and psychologically informed environments (PIE), approaches which aim to support the wellbeing of both staff and people accessing services.
Getting consent
Make sure you ask for a person's informed and signed consent to share specific information about them with other services. It's important to explain the benefits of the further support without omitting any potential risks or drawbacks, to ensure the person has a balanced understanding.
Remember to:
- be aware of what the law says in terms of what you can and cannot share without consent.
- make sure that you clearly record any decision to share or not share information, along with the justification for your decision.
- discuss the decisions made with your manager.
If someone is unable to give their valid and informed consent as a direct result of having an impairment of, or disturbance in the functioning of their mind or brain, you would need to assess their capacity to make the decision to share information.