Health inclusion

Health inclusion has always been a key part of the support offered at Spires. Our clients typically fall within marginalised and excluded groups when it comes to accessing healthcare. Their long-term recovery requires more than just housing and tenancy support, it also requires physical and mental recovery. Our commitment to Health Inclusion is demonstrated through our work with clients and the partnerships we have formed.

The average homeless life expectancy is just 46 years for men and 42 years for women - Crisis.

What we do

We work in Partnership with the NHS Health Inclusion Team to run a weekly on-site drop in with a community nurse as well as a mental health support team for clients who do not regularly access healthcare. The community nurse can triage and refer clients for further treatment/investigation, complete bloodwork and provide prescriptions. Sessions are highly attended with numerous examples of clients accessing healthcare, where they’ve not previously engaged.

We also regularly refer clients to TB screening services, and all our clients are encouraged and supported to register with a GP. As well as signposting, our key workers will attend appointments with clients when they believe they would benefit from this additional support.

As a result of our commitment to health inclusion, several clients have received life-changing treatment, whilst greatly lessening the risk of homelessness for individuals suffering with their mental health.