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South West London Trust – New Directions

The New Directions Team is a result of a partnership between several Merton agencies:

• London Borough of Merton Social Services, Children and Families, Housing, Education
• Metropolitan Police
• Sutton & Merton Primary Care Trust
• HMP Wandsworth Prison Healthcare Consortium – Secure Healthcare
• Jobcentre Plus
• Merton Council Drug and Alcohol Action Team
• Learning and Skills Council
• South West London and St. George's Mental Health NHS Trust

The lead agency to implement the team is South West London and St. George's Mental Health NHS Trust.

Aim

• To achieve clients' better inclusion with frontline services, community, and family
• To improve clients' general well-being with dignity, choice and self-assertion, safety and recovery as guiding values

As stated in the purpose of South West London and St. George's Mental Health NHS Trust:

“Everyone with mental health problems faces the challenge of retaining or recovering a life that is as meaningful, satisfying and valued as possible. The purpose of the Trust is to help people with mental health problems to do the things they want to do, live the lives they want to live and access those opportunities that all citizens should take for granted. By achieving these things we would reduce the likelihood of harm and distress for individuals, families and communities.”

Target group

Merton residents, aged 16+, who are not engaging with services, resulting in multiple exclusion, chaotic lifestyles, and negatives outcomes for themselves, families and communities.

How

We achieve our aims with an assertive outreach model to initiate a twofold process

1. With the person
   Adopting a step-by-step approach to social inclusion, we focus on establishing a safe and trustful relationship with people, which then enables a client-centred assessment of needs: from assisting in doing things like shopping or budgeting, to providing emotional support and guidance, or supporting people to access wider social activities and local agencies (statutory and non-statutory).
2. With the system
   Working in coordination with agencies to effectively include clients, and holding bi-monthly Steering Groups conformed by the partnership agencies. The Steering Group generates system changes that adapt to persons' multiple needs and difficulties by ‘flexing’ agencies' processes and acceptance criteria.

In addition to this and in partnership with Volunteer Centre Merton, the New Directions Team will involve a group of volunteer mentors who will serve as positive role models and strive to empower the mentees through support, encouragement, motivation and guidance towards achieving their goals.

How does it meet clients' needs

The New Directions Team meets its clients' needs because it works on both individual and social/institutional levels that generate continuous cycles of exclusion; the team tries to create a bridge where individuals and agencies can meet, and serves as a buffer between excluded persons, communities and agencies.

By working intensively with the clients we give them a place at the heart of our planning and interventions, and strive to strengthen and hear their voices. At the same time, significant support for them helps to minimise the chaos in their lives; to identify and develop the stable and positive aspects present in the confusion and disorder.

By working with organisations, their procedures and criteria, we reduce the negative effects created by the complexity and severity of people's needs, beginning to break down the barriers between clients and agencies and opening pathways.

More information on the New Directions Team Assessment

• Presentation [PDF 33KB, 9 pages]
• Assessment [PDF 109KB, 6 pages]

Contact

Team Manager – Matthew Willoughby
Email: Matthew.Willoughby@swlstg-tr.nhs.uk
Tel: 020 8254 8355