Mental health hospital step-down service is changing lives in Newham

Look Ahead provides specialist, co-designed supported housing and social care services for people who have a range of needs in local communities across London and the South East. They do this primarily in partnership with local authorities and NHS trusts.

Their services include integrated care, support and housing for four main groups:

• People with mental health needs.
• People living with learning disabilities and autism.
• Young people and people with experience of care.
• People with experience of homelessness and other complex needs.

Look Ahead runs Ibis House, a 10-bed supported housing discharge service for those leaving psychiatric hospital in Newham, which was first commissioned in June 2024 by Newham East London Foundation Trust (ELFT).

What prompted you to open Ibis House?

ELFT commissioned Ibis House because of the pressure that delayed hospital discharge was placing on its services.

At the peak of the pressures, 24% of patients in inpatient settings were clinically ready for discharge but many of them were unable to live independently. In early 2024, 58% of delays for people clinically ready for discharge were related to housing, with the Trust spending an average of £376,471 a month on out of area beds.

How does the service work?

Ibis House provides accommodation and support for those leaving the 112-bed Newham psychiatric ward. Look Ahead and Newham ELFT work closely together to provide these services.

Because Look Ahead does not have a clinical infrastructure, the Ibis House service draws on the clinical expertise of ELFT’s Community Mental Health Team. This collaboration means that support is both coordinated and clinically informed. Look Ahead staff benefit from ELFT’s clinical input, enabling a consistent approach across services and supporting Look Ahead to meet each individual’s needs and manage any challenging behaviours. Look Ahead’s co-produced person-centred approach enables residents to shape their support, which improves their engagement and readiness for independence.

Support at Ibis House includes:

• A psychologically informed environment to support recovery, taking into consideration soft furnishings, plants, choice of paint colour and more.
• A one-bedroom flat for each resident with a separate living area, fully equipped kitchen and bathroom.
• Referral and assessments which are processed within four hours to assess suitability, with staff available 24/7 to respond to new referrals.
• Inductions when residents first arrive: they receive a welcome pack with toiletries, bedding and towels, and an introduction to the service with everything they need to know, including facilities, activities, house rules and local connections.
• Support provided by two members of staff who are on duty at all times.
• An allocated key worker for each service user.
• Tailored support to enable residents to find onward accommodation, apply for benefits, take their medication and engage with ongoing mental health services provided by the Community Mental Health Team.

The service also has three additional units where ‘bed and breakfast’ alternative beds are offered within the adjoining building for those who have lower support needs when they leave hospital.