26 February 2001
Assertive Outreach Team goes to America

The Assertive Outreach project was launched in 1998 - a partnership between Signpost and the North Dorset Primary Care Trust. It provides people with severe and enduring mental illness with the support they need to live in the community. This support helps to prevent relapse and therefore reduces the demand on hospital in-patient beds.

The Assertive Outreach model is based on one that was founded in America, and the Assertive Outreach Team will be travelling to Charleston in South Carolina (USA) to find out how to develop their service further.

The Outreach Team comprises Jill Cuss and Ruth Hughes from Signpost Care Partnerships together with Helen Jeneson and Abigail Howard Community Psychiatric Nurses. The team leaves on Saturday 3rd March and arrives back in England on 10th March.

The team will be shadowing members from the ROADS project (Rural Outreach and Development Service). This project has strong ties with housing. The shadowing will involve attending team meetings and visiting clients. Their project is a little different to the North Dorset Primary Care Trust's project - their staff can spend a whole day travelling in their 4 x 4 cars to visit clients because of the distances involved and many of the roads they travel on are dirt tracks! They almost keep a chemist shop on board so that they can deal with whatever emergency - not just medication for clients but something for snakebites too! In England the Assertive Outreach Workers tend to use the GP facilities and don't have to worry too much about snakes!

The team, together with staff from ROADS is hoping to be interviewed by the Charleston local T.V. station to compare the two services.

Ruth Hughes, Supported Housing Officer at Signpost Care Partnerships said, "This visit will help to develop the Assertive Outreach service even further. We are all really looking forward to the trip. This is an innovative service in England and it always helps to learn from other people who have gone through the processes."

Ends: With Photograph the Assertive Outreach Team. For further information please contact Ruth Hughes or Jill Cuss on 01258 484874 both are Supported Housing Officers working for Signpost Care Partnerships.

Further Information

• Signpost Care Partnerships provides an Assertive Outreach Housing Service in partnership with North Dorset Primary Care Trust.
• The service is currently available to tenants living in Signpost Care Partnerships homes.
• It has been operating since September 1998 and is based within the Community Health Teams located in Blandford and Shaftesbury in Dorset.
• Signpost is one of the first Associations in the southwest to take this concept on board.
• The Assertive Outreach Teams are made up of a Supported Housing Worker employed by Signpost and a Community Psychiatric Nurse employed by the North Dorset Primary Care Trust.
• Once the client has moved into their home the Assertive Outreach Team work together to engage the client and support them with day to day living skills, such as applying for benefits, community care grants, budgeting, shopping, keeping out patient appointments, etc. Visits are usually for one hour per week and can be as little as once a month depending on the individuals needs.
• Signpost Care Partnerships is a member of the Signpost Housing Group, based in Blandford Forum, Dorset.
• Signpost Care Partnerships mission statement is to provide good quality affordable supported housing and care to those in need, both directly and by working in partnership with others.