From Supported to Independent Living (SIL)

housingFrom Supported to Independent Living (SIL) is a housing and support strategy for people with mental health problems in Oxfordshire. It is a joint strategy with Oxfordshire County Council (OCC) and includes a framework of how we believe all the different organisations involved in this project and the housing, support, and care of people with mental health problems, can work together to provide help realise the best outcomes possible.

Services for SIL

SIL support services are for people with a range of mental health difficulties. The purpose of these services is to help people to live in the community and to achieve recovery. The services include supporting people in their own home or providing both accommodation and support. The services are funded by Oxfordshire County Council (Supporting People and Adult Social Care) and NHS Oxfordshire.

What is recovery?

Recovery can be defined as

“..A deeply personal, unique process of changing one’s attitude, values, feelings, goals, skills, and/or roles. It is a way of living a satisfying, hopeful and contributing life even with the limitations caused by illness. Recovery involves the development of new meaning and purpose in one’s life as one grows beyond the catastrophic effects of mental illness.”

(Anthony, 1993; quoted in Recovery is for All, A Position Statement by Consultant Psychiatrists, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and South West London and St.George’s Mental Health NHS Trust, December 2010)

From Supported to Independent Living will...

  • Have a hopeful and realistic approach to helping people achieve recovery
  • Help people acquire or keep a tenancy
  • Support people to build a life in their community beyond their mental health difficulties
  • Make services as personalised and meaningful as possible
  • Have frontline staff who are committed to recovery
  • Engage actively with other agencies, such as health and housing, to help people achieve recovery and independence

These services will work together so that if people no longer need, for example, 24 hour support in a home, they will be supported to move on to a less intensive service which is right for them (e.g. their own tenancy with floating support). All of the services (except for Longer Term Supported Housing) can work with an individual for up to 2 years*.

*in some circumstances this can be extended

Referring yourself or someone else

chatThe types of service and contact details of the organisations are listed in the attached document. If you are interested in either referring yourself or someone else, please download the referral form, complete it and send to the relevant provider. They will then contact you to discuss the referral or arrange an assessment of your needs.