Your supported lodgings

C E Robson

doi:10.1192/pb.15.5.270

Abstract

Supported lodgings are an important means of achieving the successful rehabilitation and resettlement of the chronically mentally ill into the community (Anstee, 1978, 1985). In a survey of 15 psychiatric hospitals in England and Wales, it was estimated that 9.3% of the long-stay patients (i.e. in-patients from one to five years) under 65 years of age were ideally suited to less supervised accommodation outside the hospital. In Gloucestershire the Supported Lodging Scheme is provided by the Psychiatric Social Services Department. It was started to enable ‘new’ and ‘old’ long-stay patients at Coney Hill and Horton Road hospitals to be settled in the community. Now any psychiatric or mentally handicapped patient can also enter the scheme if appropriate.

Highlights

The service appeared to fulfil a need and its use by clients and referrers was increasing
From the number of clients who were admitted directly to hospital, and from the level of threatened or actual self-harm, one might expect that many of these clients would pre viously have been seen urgently on domiciliary visits by a psychiatrist and this was reflected in a reduction in the number of requested domiciliary visits, (79, compared with 125 for the preceding 12months)
The finding that 78% of clients had previous con tact with mental health services is in accord with a Matthews recent study of self-referrals to the Mental Health Advice Centre in Lewisham (Boardman & Bouras, 1989)

Summary

Introduction

The service appeared to fulfil a need and its use by clients and referrers was increasing. The finding that 78% of clients had previous con tact with mental health services is in accord with a Matthews recent study of self-referrals to the Mental Health Advice Centre in Lewisham (Boardman & Bouras, 1989). (1989) Self-referrals to a community psychiatric clinic.

Results

Conclusion