Consultation response: Rehabilitation Service Reconfiguration Proposal
Thank you to everyone who shared their views on our proposals to transform community mental health rehabilitation services. We heard from service users, carers, staff, local residents and voluntary sector organisations such as Gaddum, and we met with elected officials and others. People told us about what they feel works well now and where they feel improvements are needed.
Many people said they welcomed a stronger focus on rehabilitation in community settings. They felt that support in real homes and neighbourhoods can help people regain skills and confidence. Some people noted that the proposed supported flats would fill a gap in current recovery pathways. Others described how community teams have made a real difference to recovery and stability.
Alongside this support, some respondents raised concerns about the reduction of inpatient rehabilitation beds. They questioned whether community services will always be able to meet every level of need and that some people require longer more structured support. They also questioned whether community teams currently have the staffing and resources to take on a larger role without risking delays or pressure elsewhere in the system.
People told us that they felt staffing, clinical leadership and psychological roles will need to grow for the proposed model to work safely. Several people also stressed that care must remain person centred and flexible, with different routes available for different needs.
Local residents near the Park House site in Trafford asked for specific assurances about safety, supervision and parking. While some residents supported bringing an unused building back into use, they wanted clearer information about how the accommodation would operate.
We also heard strong appreciation for the work of existing rehabilitation teams. Many people described the positive impact of rehabilitation units such as Bramley Street and the importance of preserving effective practice and expertise.
We have taken these views onboard. Your feedback has helped us understand what matters most to people who use our services and to the communities we work in. Where respondents provided their contact details, we have responded directly to them.
We committed to publishing the themes of the feedback and how we have responded; these are as follows:
You asked us to extend the consultation period to give people more time to have their say
We listened to this feedback and extended the closing date from Friday 13 February to Monday 2nd March 2026.
You asked us not to reduce inpatient rehabilitation without ensuring options remain for people with complex or longer-term needs
We know that nationally there are people in hospital that don’t need to be there and that one of the reasons for this is a lack of supportive housing and community support that enables people to leave hospital safely and thrive in their local community. To address this, we have increased the size of our patient flow team so that people aren’t delayed in getting the support they need. We are also working with Pennine Care, Greater Manchester ICB and NHS England on a wider Greater Manchester housing strategy to improve access to appropriate accommodation. We will keep a close eye on how well the system is working by monitoring length of stay, discharge outcomes and how the whole pathway performs.
We have developed the flats proposal and enhanced community provision to support people to move closer to home. This strengthens the overall rehabilitation pathway and supports the plan to end the reliance on hospital beds and out of area placements by April 2027.
We will ensure options remain for people with complex or longer-term needs. If someone does still need a hospital bed, we will ensure that they are admitted into an appropriate inpatient hospital facility.
You asked for reassurance that the community teams will have enough staffing and clinical leadership to carry out the proposed model
The changes proposed include the expansion of HEART community rehabilitation service which would enable a community rehab service to be offered to more people across Greater Manchester. This expansion and the clinical leadership it offers is based on best practice guidance and commissioning frameworks. We are pleased to see that many of our staff who previously worked in inpatient settings have chosen to transfer to roles within HEART. Any remaining posts are currently in the recruitment process to ensure the service is fully staffed by June 2026.
The HEART team will work seven days a week, from 8 in the morning until 8 at night. They are a multi-disciplinary team that includes doctors, nurses, occupational therapists, psychologists and a variety of other professionals. HEART is already an established community rehabilitation service across Manchester, and this expansion of the community model will enable the service to extend their offer across more of Greater Manchester.
What is HEART?
H.E.A.R.T stands for The Home Engagement and Rehabilitation team. The team works with individuals before they are discharged from hospital so everyone can get to know each other and build good relationships before working together in the community. The service operates seven days a week and generally sees people two to three times a week.
What interventions does HEART offer?
The team work with everyone differently depending on their goals and needs. Interventions typically include:
- Working with people to help them be as independent as possible in everyday tasks including cooking, shopping, budgeting and managing a home environment.
- Opportunities to explore education, volunteering or employment.
- Group activities including a gardening group and the community skills group.
The support and service success that HEART has shown since being established is evident in this feedback offered by one of our service user’s relatives:
“I am a carer for a son living with a long‑term mental health condition, who has been hospitalised for a long period of time and is currently supported by the HEART team. He is now in supported accommodation as he cannot cope with living on his own, without support. Without the HEART team he would be back in hospital again by now.”
You asked about safety and risk management in the community and in the supported flats
The people who will live in the studio flats are people who no longer need hospital care and all will have had thorough risk assessments that show they are suitable for this level of independence.
These assessments will be reviewed by a group of clinical specialists including psychiatrists, psychologists, occupational therapists and nurses. This group will consider that the flats are part of a community setting rather than a hospital. Anyone who poses a risk to themselves or to others, or who needs a higher level of support, will continue to receive care in a hospital environment.
You asked about the staffing at Park House in Trafford
Park House will always be supported over a 24-hour period by a minimum of two staff as well as having the HEART team based there from 8am-8pm which includes qualified professionals such as nurses, doctors etc. The other staff working within the facility will not be directly employed by GMMH and we are currently completing a procurement exercise to determine who this provider will be. Once the provider has been identified we will work closely with them to ensure that the training provided is robust and will ensure that there is a regular review process in place.
Once the provider has been identified we will work with them to ensure that local residents have a means of communication. We will arrange for the manager to meet with local residents and tour the property so that they can meet members of the team and ask any further questions.
You asked for reassurance about parking and traffic congestion at the supported flats in Trafford
There will be adequate off-street parking at Park House for the staff and service users. Staff will not be permitted to park outside of this which will be explained in their induction. The facility has previously been used as a 14 bedded hospital and now with a reduction to seven flats overall, activity in and around the site will be greatly reduced.
You asked for clearer information about who would be living in the Park House development and reassurance about risks of antisocial behaviour
Service users moving into the new studio flats will be aged between 18 and 65 and could be male or female. A thorough referral and risk assessment process will support the residents of the flats being individuals who are deemed safe to live within a community. The people who live in the flats are a part of the community, and prior to moving into the property, a licence agreement would be signed which stipulates the standards of behaviour expected.
You want existing expertise within current services to be recognised and retained
As part of the NHS 10 Year Plan, we have been keen to redevelop our rehabilitation services so that we can provide a modern forward thinking offer to our service users and carers. A modern service provides a pathway that is developed via a community-first model of care and the proposals set out in this transformation places this at the forefront of our expansion with an expansion of our community rehab team, HEART.
Our rehabilitation services have a wealth of experience with staff from different professions who are keen to support this transformation. Staff retention and recognition is key to Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust (GMMH_ and we understand and appreciate that our staff are our greatest assets. We want to ensure our staff feel fulfilled, proud and happy. In our People Strategy, we have committed to creating great places for care and great places to work, and to developing a diverse, talented and engaged workforce in a culture where our people thrive. To support this within our services we have established “stay and grow ambassadors” who support all our staff with what is important to them and their aspirations.
Next steps
We are grateful to everyone who took the time to take part in this consultation. We have gained important insight into what matters most to the people affected by these changes. The feedback we have heard will guide how we strengthen the proposals and ensure they are grounded in real experience so that the final model is stronger and more responsive.
People have been clear that they want to stay involved in shaping how these changes are developed and delivered. We are now setting up a series of forums which will bring together service users, carers and other interested people to help shape the transformation as it moves forward. If you would like to be part of this, please email nigel.skillen@gmmh.nhs.uk
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