Our Housing and Floating Support service is a long-stay scheme offering good quality housing combined with a comprehensive person-centred package of practical and emotional support to people living in the city of Leicester. Network will assist directly with tenancy issues including furnishings/décor, rent and bills. Our Outreach Service (covering Leicester, Leicestershire & Rutand) offers a similar range of personal support, but to people living/planning to live in their own homes rather than Network managed tenancies. This service is geared to individual's more confident in managing their own housing needs.

Both services aim to promote greater independence and a good quality of life.

A range of support: 

• Emotional support/counselling
• Practical support with domestic skills
• Budgeting/Finances/debt advice/benefits
• Cultural/Spiritual
• Talking over problems
• Advice, information, advocacy
• Housing/tenancy issues
• Confidence-building/self esteem
• Finding new friendships/peer support
• Social, recreational activities/events
• Holidays
• Educational/volunteering/employment opportunities etc...

All clients will be assigned a key worker who will work with them to draw up a support plan designed to meet individual needs and identify future aims and aspirations. Regular visits/contact will be provided by community teams and staff will advocate on behalf of clients to access support interventions, treatments and other services of choice. Network are committed to multi-agency working and liaison with statutory mental health services in order to ensure consistent and effective service delivery to our clients.

How to make a referral:

Both the Supported Housing and Outreach Service provide a comprehensive support package for up to 70 individuals living either in one of Networks properties (Supported Housing - city of Leicester only) or in their own homes (Outreach - Leicester, Leicestershire & Rutland.) Support input is flexible and received on a regular basis (usually 2 support visits per week). This ensures Network can offer increased support during periods of particular difficulty or crisis and appropriately reduce regularity of contact as clients become more confident in managing their lives independently.

• Supporting people to realise their own potential
• Providing holistic person-centred support which promotes hope and recovery
• Seeing the person as the expert in their own experience
• Enabling positive change in both individuals and services through regular consultation with clients

If you, or someone you know, would like to be referred to Network's Outreach, Supported Housing or Resource Centre .....
Can you answer YES to the following:

• I am aged 18 or over (No upper age limit)
• I am able to cope without 24 hour support
• I experience serious and persistent mental health distress and/or have prolonged engagement with psychiatric services
• My quality of life is significantly affected by mental distress
• I may have experienced difficulties in engaging with and relating to support services in the past (not essential)
• Support would enable me to take more control over my life
• I would like to make positive changes in my life and I am willing to work with Network to achieve this

To make a referral to the Community Teams contact:
Gemma Byford (Community teams manager)

Telephone: (0116) 2470335 EXT 111
Or Email: gemma@networkforchange.org.uk

Service User Involvemet

The SHOUT Group exists to inform and advise Network for Change on the development of the Outreach and Supported Housing projects from a client perspective. 

We are a group of Network clients who receive either Outreach or Supported Housing services, who work directly with the Community Teams Manager and the Assistant Director to ensure that the service remains service user driven.

Please see the SHOUT PDF leaflet below for more information Also the 2009 Client Satisfaction Audit