Community Mental Health Floating Support Service

We are a community mental health team who provide help and support to adults who have a mental health diagnosis. Our support is geared to helping you with any housing or tenancy related matters.

The aim of our support is to promote your independence, and help reduce barriers for those who experience mental health issues in accessing housing and tenancy support in the community.

We can help you with a wide range of things such as contacting the Department for Work and Pensions, access to health care services (GP, dentist etc), support to arrange and attend appointments, applying for grants and benefits, placing bids on properties and much more. As the service is independence focused, support is provided for up to two years. 

• Setting up or maintaining your tenancy and all related tasks involved in this process from application to sign up and move on.
• Homelessness prevention.
• Accessing appropriate benefits, grants and entitlements and emergency aid such as access to the food bank.
• Budgeting, debt, tenancy advice and support. Dealing with mail, bills and contacting utilities.
• Developing household routines via a support plan to achieve your goals and promote your independence such as shopping, domestic hygiene.
• Reducing isolation and loneliness, signposting to community groups and organisations.
• Making and attending appointments. 'Step in and step out' short-term crisis support and reducing the risk of admissions to hospital.
• Support in accessing help with substance/alcohol dependency.
• Support in managing your overall health and well-being and promoting positive mental health.
• Support to access education, training and employment.

Adults (18 years+) who are resident in St Helens and have a diagnosis of a mental health related condition who require housing related support as detailed above.

You can self-refer or can be referred by a professional or friend/carer on your behalf by telephoning Contact Cares on 01744 676767 and requesting a referral to the Community Mental Health Floating Support Service. Your referral will then be received, and a member of the team will contact you to arrange an assessment of your needs.

Supported housing - locally in St Helens town centre. We can provide more information on request.

Remote support - for those who need support but not face-to-face visits, such as help to place bids on Under One Roof or welfare telephone calls related to your health and wellbeing. We can provide more information on request.

We work alongside various agencies such as The Working Age Team, St Helens Recovery Team, Housing Options, Change Grow Live, Citizens Advice Bureau and Early Intervention In Psychosis Team.

The service operates from Monday to Thursday, 9am to 5pm, and 9am to 4.30pm on Fridays.

After your assessment, you will be allocated a named worker who will discuss your needs and together you will plan suitable days and times of visits to work through the tasks discussed at your assessment.

If there is no role for us, we will (where appropriate) signpost you to other agencies who may be able to assist you.

For more information or to make a general enquiry, please contact the office on 01744 605043 and ask for the manager, Sarah Dearden, or any member of the team, who will be happy to talk with you and answer any queries you may have.