GMMH Homeless Hub Showcase Celebrates Innovation and Compassion in Mental Health care for people experiencing
Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust (GMMH) recently hosted an Homeless Hub Showcase event at Whitefield Golf Club, bringing together professionals, partners and service users to celebrate the transformative work being done to support people experiencing homelessness and mental health challenges across Greater Manchester.
The event marked the launch of the Homeless Hub’s new showcase film, featuring GMMH staff, external partners and the lived experiences of service users. The film highlighted the real-world impact of trauma-informed, assertive outreach models used by the Hub’s five core services:
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Manchester Mental Health Homeless Team
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Inclusion Health Homeless Team - Salford
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Housing First Dual Diagnosis Team
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Rough Sleepers Initiative Team
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Rough Sleeper Drug & Alcohol Team (Bolton & Salford)
These services work collaboratively with local authorities and voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) partners to deliver trauma-informed, holistic care to individuals with complex needs, including co-occurring mental health and substance use conditions.
A Morning of Insight and Inspiration
The showcase began with a welcome by Adam Clayton, Service Manager at the Homeless Hub, who delivered a keynote speech outlining the vision and values behind the Homeless Hub’s integrated approach.
Claus Madsen, Chief People Officer at GMMH, then recognised the work taking place across services and the impact on service users. He highlighted the value of different ways of working to best engage people experiencing complex needs and facing multiple disadvantages, and recognised the value of partnership working to ensure collaborative approaches across the system as a whole.
This was followed by a presentation by practitioners from across the Hub, featuring case studies that demonstrated how their work has led to meaningful change in the lives of service users.
A particularly powerful moment was when a service user, featured in the film, shared her personal recovery journey story, a powerful testament to the life-changing support she received.
Specialist practitioners also took the floor to discuss their roles within the Hub, including experts in Speech and Language Therapy, Neuropsychology, Clinical Psychology, and Advanced Clinical Practice. Their insights highlighted the importance of multidisciplinary collaboration in addressing the complex challenges faced by homeless individuals.
Claus Madsen, Chief People Officer at GMMH, said:
“It was an absolute pleasure and privilege to spend the morning with the fantastic people from our GMMH Homeless Hub services, and some of our vital system partners from across Greater Manchester.
“The case studies were very powerful. They included examples of where we are internationally trailblazing new outreach approaches with multi-disciplinary and cross-organisational collaboration. Thank you for all the hard and incredibly important work you do to change lives!”
Salli Midgley, Chief Nurse at GMMH, said:
“It was brilliant to hear from a variety professionals at the Homeless Hub about their roles and how they support service users and carers. There were some really good examples of innovative thinking and of the dedication of our teams in supporting some of the most vulnerable members of our communities.”
Carmain Gibson-Holmes, Deputy Chief Operating Officer at GMMH, said:
“Thank you so much for the invite to the Homeless Hub Showcase. It was a great event, which was really well-attended and showcased the great work of our people and teams at the Homeless Hub. The passion and pride for the work undertaken was so palpable, hopeful and inspiring. There is a lot to be proud of!
“Any one of us could find ourselves homeless and in need of services. It is absolutely vital that we continue to promote this important work to reduce stigma, increase access and ensure that as many people as possible can benefit.”
A Model for Compassionate Care
GMMH Homeless Services offer a trauma-informed and compassionate approach to care, which is delivered through strong partnerships and community engagement.
To find out more about this vital work, visit https://www.gmmh.nhs.uk/homeless-services and you can watch the Homeless Hub film here.
In the words of Babatunde Sekoni, Mental Health Practitioner at GMMH’s Salford Homeless Dual Diagnosis Team:
“Let’s make sure homelessness is not hopelessness.”
