We've given our support to the findings of a new Parliamentary review calling for housing-related issues to be considered as an important factor in identifying mental health distress.

The report, from an all-party parliamentary group reviewing the role of social workers in mental health, criticises the limitation of a medical approach to mental healthcare that has little regard for social circumstances.

According to the report, looking at social factors such as housing and housing-related concerns would allow prevention of distress and help manage recovery by considering practical issues around long-term treatment.

Our Tenancy Support services regularly supports customers with a range of circumstances from hoarding to struggles with claiming benefits or finding work which can often be linked to mental health-related concerns. Some of our customer-facing staff with the ability to spot signs of mental health problems can take appropriate action and help connect them to the relevant agency.

Derek Streek, VIVID Head of Neighbourhoods, said: “Our experience suggests a customer’s mental health can have an impact on their ability to maintain their home or afford their rent and give us signs of safeguarding issues.”

A desire to be better able to support customers where various types of mental health are identified was part of our motivation for working in partnership with Solent NHS Trust, and trialling a digital wellbeing app that customers can use to be signposted to various support services including those related to mental health issues.