More than just bricks and mortar - supported housing in the spotlight

The Twisting Ducks Theatre Company will be the star attraction at an event this Thursday to showcase the work done by NomadE5 Housing Association staff to support the most vulnerable members of society.

'Promoting Health & Well-Being - Creating Thriving Communities' is an event being held as part of the first ever Supported Housing Month North, which has been put together by the National Housing Federation.

The month of activity aims to show that housing associations do much more than simply provide the 'bricks and mortar' of affordable housing.

The Twisting Ducks is a drama group with members who have learning disabilities, who perform material which delivers important messages about the big issues in society.

Members of the group will be contributing to the NomadE5 event with a performance based on the themes of health and well-being.

An audience of council officials and specialist supporting housing providers has been invited to the event at Gosforth Civic Hall this Thursday, November 26th.

The care and support teams at NomadE5 are renowned for the quality of their supported housing services, and are graded 'A' against the Government's Quality Assessment Framework.

NomadE5, part of the Isos Group, is one of dozens of housing associations across the north of England celebrating Supported Housing Month North who between them work with 165,000 people across the region.

The aim of the month of activity is to show the public and key decision makers the value of supported housing in the community.

Besides the performance from the Twisting Ducks, the event will also include a presentation from NomadE5's care and support (projects) manager Jane Gallagher, while care and support (operations) staff and service users will be delivering a presentation on what NomadE5 is doing to tackle PSA 16. This is the public sector agreement which deals with securing settled accommodation and jobs for people with mental health problems.

The team will also be demonstrating the innovative techniques they use to support people with mental health problems to stay out of hospital and sustain a tenancy in the community.

There will also be a Q&A session on how Isos and NomadE5 can meet local authority needs - asking the audience for their views on what works, what doesn't and what we can improve in the services provided.

Research shows every pound spent on Supporting People saves £1.79 on other public services. Nationally the sector is saving mainstream services a total of £1.22bn.

Jane Gallagher, care and support (projects) manager at NomadE5, said: "The work we do to support our clients is normally very low key, but it's important that we sometimes take the time to say what a great job our staff are doing - and promote the vital role these services play in our community.

"We are proud of the standard of services we provide and want to do what we can to highlight their importance."

Derek Long, head of north for the National Housing Federation said: "Supported housing and floating support services do not currently have the recognition they deserve.

"Housing associations and other providers working in this field are unsung heroes, making a vast contribution through an enormous variety of services, tailored to meet a wide range of needs.

"Supported Housing Month North is aimed at raising awareness, and it is acting as a fantastic showcase for this important work."