National Housing Strategy for People with a Disability 2011 - 2016

developed in the grounds of Wexford General Hospital and is expected to be available foroccupation in late 2012. Admissions to St. Senan’s Hospital ceased on 28 February asrequired by the Mental Health Commission.The HSE South’s plan has ensured that reorganisation of acute services will enable serviceusers to be treated closer to their homes whilst maintaining clients’ links to their familiesand communities minimising the impact on their daily lives whilst reducing the number ofacute beds by up to 30%.Case Study 9.2: Monaghan County Council and St. Davnet’s Hospital 82St Davnet’s Hospital is a mental health services hospital in Monaghan with two long-staywards, one admission unit and home-base treatment, rehabilitation and psychiatry of laterlife teams. When an individual is due to be given a discharge date from St Davnet’s and ahousing need is identified, Monaghan County Council is notified and the local authoritysocial worker will visit the individual to discuss his/her needs. The hospital draws up a careplan, with the patient present, in agreement with other service providers (e.g. localauthority, community-based support providers). A holistic approach is taken where theindividual’s proximity to family members, the local town, education and work areconsidered.From the local authority perspective, the intent is to ensure that a successful tenancyensues, and therefore the individual’s housing need is considered in the context ofsupports being available (this would include, for example, providing a second bedroom fora carer) and placement where a person would not experience harassment by othertenants. More often other tenants can be very helpful, acting to identify problems with aperson who has experienced mental illness and communicating this through communitygroups and residents’ associations – this was considered invaluable by the local authorityand the mental health team as it was felt that early identification could prevent majorproblems for the individual at a later date.Not everyone on the housing list with mental health disabilities will be accessing housingfrom the hospital. The local authority also identifies people on the housing waiting list with82Review of the Housing and Support Options for People with Mental Health Related Housing Needs (Housing &Sustainable Communities Agency, 2010)111111