By Tom Pollard, Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust   As a newly qualified Social Worker supporting adults with mental health problems, I see how often the issues that people are experiencing, often thought of as primarily about their health, are almost invariably tied up in their social situations. Many people with mental health problems also have issues with money, housing, relationships and employment, as well as challenges such as drug and alcohol misuse, and contact with the criminal justice system. These issues can be both a cause and a consequence of their mental health problems. Having a safe and secure place to live is a basic human necessity, but it can be really hard as a Social Worker to navigate the relevant systems and processes to help someone with these kinds of experiences get access to housing. This is especially true when you’re newly qualified and new to a team and an area. I was therefore excited to attend some recent training put on by Research in Practice for Adults about ‘complexity and housing’. At this training, we heard from Expert Citizens C.I.C. and VOICES about the great work they are doing to ensure that people with complex needs get the support they need… Continue Reading

*Name has been changed to protect the identity of customer   Mark* has a long history of substance misuse, homelessness, mental health and offending. He suffered a cardiac arrest and was in a coma for several months through misusing Mamba. Sadly, the long-term damage from the cardiac arrest was Hypoxic Brain Trauma due to lack of oxygen to the brain. Mark remained in hospital in the Mental Health Unit for rehabilitation due to struggles with his speech and mobility. From here he was discharged to a local hostel as social care deemed him to not have acute housing needs. At this point, Mark still had limited mobility as well as poor mental health in relation to the brain injury.   A local hostel referred Mark to VOICES due to struggling with his care needs and difficulties in managing his behaviour. They had referred him to Social Care but again had not succeeded. When VOICES assessed Mark, it became clear that he had care and support needs and therefore qualified for Social Care input. His Service Coordinator again referred the case to Social Care and with much hesitation, they agreed to come to the hostel to assess.   During the assessment, the Social Worker focused mainly on… Continue Reading