Independent investigation: Jonathan Newby, Oxford (1993)

Health authorities, social service departments and housing authorities should consider establishing a specialist outreach and care team for homeless people with severe mental illness.

Authorities should view the quality and quantity of accommodation available in their area for homeless people with severe mental illness against an assessment of needs, and should plan the development of new accommodation and care services to fill any gaps.

Health authorities should offer to appoint a qualified mental health professional as a sessional consultant or adviser to residential care homes and hostels which house significant proportions of people with severe mental illness.

The Department of Health should review responsibilities and service provision for people with multiple problems of mental illness, personality disorder, and substance abuse, and require health and social services authorities to make adequate provision.

Health authorities should ensure that they purchase sufficient high care accommodation to meet needs in their areas, including the needs of those people who are currently housed in hostels where the staffing numbers and skills cannot adequate care. (This is a current Department of Health priority, but one where they are having difficulty convincing health authorities at local level.)