Mental health treatments – and our attitudes towards those living with mental health challenges and complex needs – have shifted significantly this millennium.
While people’s confidence to speak about and seek help for personal issues have improved, how we deliver mental health support effectively to both those diagnosed with serious mental illness and those with milder symptoms can remain misunderstood.
Providing the bridge between intensive hospital care and independent living
As Oxfordshire’s largest independent mental health charity, we provide intensive community support which prevents avoidable NHS readmissions and enables people to live more independently through a person-centred, recovery-focused, model which combines safe and secure housing with tailored support.
In a nutshell, it is our job to act as a direct pressure valve for NHS funded mental health wards locally which operate under constant pressure as a result of increasingly high demand for inpatient services, delayed discharges, and a lack of safe and stable supported housing options.
By supported housing options, I mean short to medium term, community based, supported housing services which act as the bridge between intensive hospital care and independent living.
Helping those ready to be discharged from statutory services when the right level of community support is available at Response ensures people do not remain on wards, delayed-discharge days are not accumulated, and they avoid the crisis routes which would return them to NHS care.
A secure house is fundamental to good mental health
A secure home is the foundation required for an individual to feel safe, and in control of their life regardless of the personal pressures they might be experiencing.
In many cases, homelessness and mental ill-health are intertwined and we have seen first-hand countless cases of individuals aspiring to become the best version of themselves once they have that security of four walls and a roof over their head.
Combined with our approach of helping people build a sense of belonging, trust and purpose, our approach has generated fantastic outcomes for people we support.
This is backed up by figures released from our most recent impact report, which found only two per cent of people in our care have been readmitted to statutory services within 60 days of leaving from February 2025 onwards. And in the same period, 90 per cent of people who left our services moved onto greater levels of independence in their communities.
Every case is individual, though. Some people will always require constant levels of support and care to live well in the community, in which case it is our responsibility to provide them with the stability, confidence and space to help them be the best version of themselves.
The benefits of supported housing
When it comes to our health service, resources and the public purse will always be part of the conversation.
The bottom line is, supported housing, backed up by tailored mental health support, not only helps people move forwards from significant financial challenges, but also has long-term financial benefits too.
During the reporting period of our latest impact report (October 2024 until October 2025), the cost of housing one resident for one night across our housing provisions at Response averaged at £46.43. The cheapest being £15.91, and the most expensive costing £120.33.
By comparison, NHS bed-night costs can cost between £470 to £760 per person, per night, with average length of stay between 33 and 69 nights.
I must stress Response does not act with the primary intention of saving the NHS money.
People are our priority, and ensuring once a person is ready to leave inpatient care that we are ready to help them in the next phase of their recovery.
And by delivering this to the highest standards, we are minimising readmission rates and therefore reducing the burden – and long-term costs – imposed on statutory services. Not to mention preventing the risk of homelessness a person might face upon discharge, which presents an extraordinarily high chance of a person requiring further intensive support in the future.
Response is a huge operation, far greater than people might assume. But it is one I am proud to lead so those with complex needs can live as independently as possible.
Nicola Leavesley, CEO of Response