Mental health training for homelessness agencies

We are encouraged to see that at least one trainee has pursued an active interest in homelessness/shelter populations (Psychiatric Bulletin, September 2007, 31, 326–329). However, we would like to throw further light on one of the author's conclusions. Stating that training is needed for shelter staff implies that there is little or no training available. In fact, a programme of training for voluntary sector organisations involved in homelessness was set up in London about 12 years ago. The Homelessness Training Unit is based in the Short Term Assessment and Rehabilitation Team (START, a mental health outreach team for homeless people) in Southwark but supplies modules of training to agencies all over London. CRISIS permanent staff receive training from the Unit team every year, although owing to the sheer number of volunteers (several thousand every year) it is only possible to train a tiny fraction of them. However, working with CRISIS is only a small part of what the Unit does.

In 2006 we ran 72 training courses for trainees from a total of 70 different organisations, double the number that were run 3 years ago. The courses ranged from general (Understanding and Recognising Mental Health Problems) to particular (Working with Schizophrenia). Agencies ranged from large, such as St Mungo's, to small, such as Romford YMCA. Many of the courses were bespoke, in-house training sessions developed with the client organisations. The feedback for these training modules has been consistently excellent.

One of the limiting factors in training CRISIS volunteers is the lack of time and their large numbers. However, most homeless people who attend a CRISIS shelter will be in touch for the rest of the year with one of the other organisations we offer training to, whether it be a hostel, a day centre or a street outreach team. It may well prove more cost-effective to focus on those working permanently with homeless people as their daily experience is likely to ‘cement’ what they have learnt in their training.

We have been able to offer these courses free to cash-strapped voluntary agencies because of access to central funding. However, this central budget is being devolved to individual boroughs and it is uncertain how many of them, with their own cost pressures and local strategies, will wish to retain this funding.