Mental Health and Homelessness in Wandsworth
What we did
Healthwatch Wandsworth identified mental health and homelessness as a research priority for 2023-2024. With Wandsworth having the tenth highest rate of homelessness in London, and mental health a major concern for people experiencing homelessness, accessible mental health support is a key concern for this community.
The aim of this research was to develop an understanding of the current state of mental health and homelessness in the community. To do this, we spoke with organisations providing services to the homeless community across Wandsworth. We also spoke to people with lived experience of homelessness through surveys and case studies.
The people we spoke with provided valuable insights into the struggles the homeless community is facing and the changes they felt were needed. Our full report describes the stories of people who experience homelessness and mental health struggles. Here is a summary of the key findings and recommendations.
Key findings
- Over half of the participants identified themselves as having a disability or long term condition.
- The majority of participants in this study noted that they had a mental health diagnosis or struggled with their mental health.
- There were a variety of factors that contributed to homelessness including: family turmoil, financial turmoil, and mental health struggles.
- There was a high level of variance in the pathways to access emotional health support participants described, indicating that the ways people who are homeless can access emotional health support may not be clear and/or easily accessible.
- The participants shared a variety of issues in addressing mental health and homelessness, including having access to housing and mental health support prior to the point of crisis to avoid being homeless, as well as needing holistic support once homeless.
- Mental health and homelessness were overwhelmingly identified as the most important issues to discuss moving forward.
Overall, many factors feed into the current state of mental health and homelessness in the community. Moving forward, we would recommend the following:
- Producing a map of resources for people who are homeless and distributing them in ways that are accessible to the community.
- Providing comprehensive support prior to the point of crisis to prevent people from facing homelessness. This is particularly pertinent for vulnerable populations, specifically those with disabilities and long term conditions who are over-represented in the homeless community.
- Creating regular opportunities for professionals supporting people who are homeless across Wandsworth to connect, discuss opportunities for holistic working, and share challenges to address the specific and varied needs of the community.
What happens next
We have presented these findings to the South West London Integrated Care Board for consideration. They are continuing to look at housing issues moving forward. Healthwatch Wandsworth will continue to share these findings with the relevant bodies.
Information and resources for homelessness and mental health
StreetLink connects rough sleepers to local support services. If you or someone you know is sleeping rough, visit https://thestreetlink.org.uk/ to report this and connect them to local services.
SPEAR is a charity in South and West London offering support to those experiencing homelessness. Visit their website to learn more about the services they offer: https://www.spearlondon.org/get-support/
Citizen’s Advice Wandsworth also lists several organisations that can provide housing support in the community: https://cawandsworth.org/get-advice/housing/
Finally, you can learn more about the services that Wandsworth Council provides for homelessness and temporary accommodation by visiting their website at: https://www.wandsworth.gov.uk/housing/homelessness-and-temporary-accommodation/
If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, you can call the South West London Crisis Line at 0800 028 8000 or Samaritans at 116 123.
