Rachel House

Rachel House is a 15-bed project providing accommodation and support for people whose primary diagnosis is mental ill health and who require a high-level of support.

• Aims
• Referral Criteria
• Accommodation
• More information
• House Rules

Rachel House Service Aims

Rachel House works within a harm minimisation framework and a recovery and strengths model. The service aims to:

• Assist clients to comply with the terms of their tenancy in areas such as house rules, health and safety, noise disruption, damage and harassment, payment of rent and service charge.
• Provide advice, support and supervision to develop a wide range of practical and emotional living skills.
• Enable clients to access appropriate education, employment and training opportunities.
• Encourage clients to build and maintain friendships and community networks.
• Assist with access to or sustaining links with primary and other care or disability services including CMHT and drug and alcohol services.
• Assist with claiming relevant welfare benefits.

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Rachel House Referral Criteria

This service is for:

• People with a primary diagnosis of mental ill health, with or without a secondary diagnosis in relation to drugs / alcohol misuse or physical ill health.
• People who are single, homeless and aged between 18 and 65, with a connection to Westminster

At the time of referral the client must be linked in with Westminster CMHT and be on an enhanced Care Programme Approach (CPA)

Priority is given to the following agencies - we do not accept self referrals:

• Westminster Housing Options Team
• Community Mental Health Teams

When making a referral:

• Ensure the client meets the referral criteria.
• Contact the project manager who will be able to advice you on suitability, procedure and current voids.
• Complete a referral form and provide an up-to-date risk assessment, last CPA form and any other relevant reports or information.

This is to ensure that the project can meet the needs of the clients and to avoid unnecessary exclusions. If you are unsure whether the service is suitable, please contact us. We are always happy to discuss a potential referral.

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Rachel House Accommodation

The project comprises 15 bedrooms separated over three floors. Each floor has three or four rooms, a communal kitchen, shower room, bathroom and laundry facilities.

Included as part of the accommodation are staff offices and communal rooms for keywork, group, leisure and meaningful occupation activities

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More about Rachel House

An important focus of Rachel House is to provide a safe and secure environment, to help clients bring stability to their lives. Rachel House provides clients with assessment, rehabilitation and preparation for eventual resettlement into appropriate accommodation. Resettlement may be into independent accommodation but may in some instances be accommodation with a higher or lower level of ongoing support.

Many clients will have spent a considerable amount of time in hospital and will have a history of transience and homelessness.

Clients are offered support in a variety of ways: through planned key work, outings and activities, one-to-one work, group work and daily contact. Support plans are drawn up in consultation with the clients and any other relevant professionals involved with their care. These plans set clear objectives and targets and are reviewed regularly.

The project works in close partnership with all other relevant agencies such as community mental health teams (CMHT’s) and crisis teams to enable us to works safely with high need clients and share knowledge and expertise.

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House Rules

Clients are issued with a tenure agreement and a set of house rules. These will be explained when prospective clients are interviewed. This includes rules on smoking, which is only permitted in clients’ bedrooms.

The service operates within SHP’s drug policy, which covers the use of all drugs including illegal or controlled drugs. In order to offer a secure and stable environment for everyone, no visitors are allowed.

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