Tackling social inclusion by improving access to stable accommodation is now widely accepted as a critical step to modern mental health care. Too often people with mental health problems find themselves homeless or living in temporary accommodation, which exacerbates their mental health issues and impedes recovery or remaining longer than needed within in-patient care, which perpetuates dependency and disempowerment. Through the Public Service Agreement on socially excluded adults, people with mental health problems have been identified within the Government as one of four key groups of vulnerable people for whom additional support and a new urgency in inter-agency co-operation is needed at such moments of transition in order to tackle the risk of deepening social inclusion. This conference gives participants the opportunity to explore the scope for better working between mental health, housing and homelessness services to deliver community mental health care aimed at promoting recovery and independence. Speakers will address a range of issues such as the delivery of PSA 16 objectives, better use of CPA, gathering the evidence base in strategic needs assessments, highlighting examples of constructive and innovative approaches and streamlining the commissioning of new supported housing services to meet gaps.

Aims of the Conference

This conference will help participants: n translate the key messages from the housing, homelessness and modernising mental health care agendas to foster a common agenda n assess the strengths and weaknesses of their local situation n explore the challenges of improving joint working to deliver the right outcomes for people with a mental health problem n make better use of existing tools n identify the opportunities to commission innovative services that work - learning from best practice examples n contribute to setting the local agenda of next steps to be tackled

Speakers at the event

  • Gary Lashko Carr Gomm
  • Naomi Eisenstadt Cabinet Office, Social Exclusion Task Force
  • Nigel Walker Commissioning Lead, CISP
  • Robin Johnson NSIP Housing Lead 
  • Martin Cheeseman Director, London Borough of Brent Bill Hodson York City Council, Joint ADSS Housing and Social Care
  • Les Sharpe CPA Alliance
  • Yvonne Arrowsmith Regional Director, Family Mosaic Housing Group
  • Andrew van Doorn HACT
  • Kathryn Tyson Programme Director, Mental Health Social Care, Department of Health
  • Phil Hope Minister for the Third Sector and the Social Exclusion Task Force (invited)

Who should attend

The focus is on commissioners, providers, as well as those who sign off local commissioning plans in joint strategic needs assessments (therefore looking also for representation from government offices and strategic health authorities):

  • Directors and senior managers in housing departments, housing associations, mental health trusts, adult social care departments and voluntary organisations working with people with mental health problems
  • Service commissioners in housing, health, social care and supporting people
  • Representatives from government offices and strategic health authorities
  • Members of local strategic partnerships
  • Homelessness and resettlement organisations

Workshops

none

Pricing

£ 275.00 + VAT for Public Sector/Educational/Charity/NHS/Local gov/Vol orgs
£ 345.00 + VAT for Central gov/private orgs
£ 195.00 + VAT for Supported rate (unwaged/student/small voluntary sector organisation)