Agenda item

This report outlines a direction of travel for the development of a housing and support pathway for people with mental ill health. 

This report from the Corporate Director of Health, Housing and Adult Social Care, City of York Council and the Accountable Officer, NHS Vale of York Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) outlined a direction of travel for the development of a housing and support pathway for people with mental ill health.  It recognised that there were challenges within the current system which could only be addressed in a ‘whole system’ way with collaborative working between health, housing, social care, the voluntary and community sector, private sector landlords, service users, carers, and communities. 

With regard to the report annexes, Annex 1 detailed how the current system was falling short for individuals with complex needs in terms of both individual outcomes and system-wide efficiencies. Annex 2 detailed the Workshop Report, Executive Summary:  Mental Health Housing and Support Workshop held at thePriory Street Centre on 29 September 2017.

The CYC Commissioning Manager, Adult Social Care and CYC  Housing Management Service Manager introduced the report to the Board. They opened with a quote from the Centre for Mental Health’s report ‘More Than Shelter’ (June 2016) which summarised the importance of housing and support for people with mental health problems:

“Having somewhere to live in which we feel secure is essential to our physical and mental health...and for people who have experienced mental health problems, it is a key to their long-term independence, stability and recovery....The provision of support for people with mental health problems to assist them to live an independent life is central to the delivery of comprehensive mental health support.”

Members received the report and in response to their questions it was reported that:

·        A number of Housing Associations and Registered Social Landlords (RSL) had been invited to attend the Mental Health Housing and Support Workshop held at Priory Street Centre on 29 September 2017. The workshop was attended by over 70 delegates with a wide range of partner agencies represented including service users and carers, City of York Council (Adult Social Care, Community Safety, Housing) Housing Associations, Tees, Esk and Wear Valley NHS Foundation Trust, Vale of York Clinical Commissioning Group, and organisations from the Voluntary and Community Sector. 

The Manager of Healthwatch York reported that she had attended the workshop and she gave feedback from an attendee at the workshop.

Board Members asked a number of questions and in response it was noted that:

·        With reference to the resources needed, the details on the costings would be presented in the next report to the Board.

·        Different ways of continuing involvement with service users was being looked at, for example this could be undertaken via one to one consultations between key workers and service users or through peer support networks.

Resolved:  That the Health and Wellbeing Board:

a)              Agree to receive a further report in early summer which will include costed options and proposals focussed on three key areas for development that emerged from a multi-agency workshop event held on 29 Sept 2017.

·        Better joint working - improving the way that health, housing and social care work together now.

·        ‘Housing First’ – understanding what more we need to do to make a Housing First approach work for as many people as possible.

·        Complex needs – doing further work on modelling the smaller, more dispersed supported housing schemes (with 24/7 support) preferred by workshop delegates.

b)              Note that developing a housing and support pathway for people with mental ill health - that will ensure access to the right type of accommodation, and the right level of support, at the right time - is likely to require changes to the way that health, housing, and social care work together and, potentially, a redistribution of resources within the ‘whole system’ – for example, disinvesting in buildings in order to invest more resource into community support.  More specific information on the resource implications for the whole system will form part of the follow-up report.

Reason:     To keep the Health and Wellbeing Board informed of progress in relation to the development of a housing and support pathway for people with mental ill health.