Homelessness health scheme expanding

Community Connectors helps people find services to assist with housing and mental health needs

A service that helps people with their mental health and homelessness needs is expanding.

Cumberland Council's Community Connectors team links people to services that can improve their wellbeing, but has only been available to those in the former Copeland area.

It has now been expanded to include those in the former Allerdale council area.

Lisa Brown, from Cumberland Council, said accessing support from the Community Connectors team can often prevent people needing other NHS services.

Community Connectors "prescribes" services that can help those with needs around low level mental health issues, housing and homelessness, loneliness, benefits and debt problems, digital inclusion and physical health.

Since April 2022 it has helped more than 500 people improve their wellbeing, according to the council.

Further expansion planned

Ms Brown said: "The team has already been making contact with local groups and services in the former Allerdale area.

"In time and with funding in place, we would like to expand the service to the Carlisle area too."

She added that residents can also use the Joy online directory to refer themselves to 160 local groups and services.

Cumberland Council was formed last year through the merger of Copeland, Allerdale, Cumbria County Council and Carlisle City Council.

Community Connectors was set up with cash from the Copeland Community Fund, but now also receives finance from the Sellafield Social Impact Fund.