Solihull Council has signed two three year contracts with national charity Mental Health Matters to provide mental health community support for adults in the borough.
This follows a procurement process for a new service to support people living with mental ill health who are already known to the Council and an enhanced drop in service open to anyone in the borough.
The new enablement service will support people to develop their daily living skills so they can look after themselves and their home, as well as becoming more involved in their local community.
The enhanced drop in service will be available at three locations across the borough (north, central and south Solihull) on different days of the week. The sessions will provide places for people to go at times of crisis or increased need, where they can get support from peers and/or mental health workers, without the need for a referral from a social worker.
The existing OASIS drop in service provided by Solihull MIND will continue until 31 March 2022.
The contracts and new support services start on 1 April 2022.
Cllr Tony Dicicco, Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care, said:
“I would like to congratulate Mental Health Matters on their successful bids. We look forward to working with them next year.
The services they will be providing are going to help adults with their personal recovery, supporting them to become more independent and get back on their feet.
Good housing is key to supporting mental health. The new enablement service is going to focus on developing people’s skills to maintain and clean their home, manage money, make healthy food choices and develop personal care routines.
Having drop in sessions at different locations around the borough means support will be closer to home and helping people to feel part of their local community.
These services are going to help adults living with mental ill health to achieve things they have found difficult to do, think more positively, be able to have healthy friendships and relationships and, most importantly, have hope for the future.
I would also like to put on record my thanks to Solihull MIND for the support they provide in the borough.
Jane Hughes, CEO of Mental Health Matters, added:
“Mental Health Matters are delighted to have the opportunity to support the residents of Solihull.
We believe that, with the right personalised support, anyone with a mental health need can live the life they want to live, and we are proud to play a part in helping people to achieve their hopes and aspirations.
We look forward to working closely with the Council and with the local community to deliver a high-quality service to those in need”.