A caseworker for a homeless charity in Richmond has criticised the borough’s mental health provision.

Lewis Gates works for Glass Door Homeless Charity and claims that the mental health service for rough sleepers in the borough is poor and affects people who “are very much at risk.”

He claims mental health workers are “unwilling” to carry out assessments outside of their offices, making it difficult for rough sleepers to attend appointments.

He added “when it does happen it takes weeks of phone calls and persuasion, even when the situation is desperate.” 

Mr Gates said he had seen cases where “very unwell people” needed to be helped under emergency police powers after their behaviour became too difficult to manage.

He criticised the Kingston and Richmond Assessment Team for “bouncing back” referrals and telling rough sleepers to go to a GP, even when the referral makes it clear the person will not go to a GP. 

“As a result they depend on the situation becoming dire in a public place and police using their emergency Section 136 powers, and this has recently become more explicit with mental health team staff including doctors recommending a 136.”

Section 136 gives the police the power to remove someone from a public place who appears to be suffering from a mental disorder, and is in need of immediate care, and to move them to a place of safety. 

“People are being failed and are extremely vulnerable,” said Mr Gates.

“The service is not flexible, and does not meet the needs of homeless people.”

He would like to see a specific mental health service for rough sleepers in the borough, like Kensington and Chelsea’s homeless intervention team. 

A spokesperson for South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust, which is responsible for the Kingston and Richmond Assessment Team said:

“Around one in four people in the UK experience a mental health condition each year, and South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust provides services to 1.1 million people across South West London, as well as many national services.

 “We want to help people experiencing a mental health problem get the treatment and support they need as quickly and effectively as possible, and work to ensure that high quality patient care is our key priority.”

Mr Gates, who has worked in the borough for more than six years, also raised issues with the borough’s preference for online forms to record people who say they are homeless.

He said he had seen people crying who were unable to use a computer, because they were computer illiterate or mentally unwell. 

While he is on hand to help people with their applications, he says the form is “not easy” to use, and even asks for a postcode to continue. 

A spokesperson for Richmond council said 95 per cent of applications are made online “as it is easier for the client” but this is not mandatory and that council officers or people from partner organisations can assist a vulnerable person to complete their forms.

Latest figures show more than 1,000 households told the council they were at risk of homelessness in 2018/19. This is a dramatic increase from 389 in 2017/18, but the council says this is in part due to the introduction of the Homelessness Reduction Act, which means the council must now accept an application from anyone who appears to be at risk of homelessness, within an extended timeframe of 56 days. This is regardless of priority need or connection to the borough. 

At the borough’s Adult Social Services, Health and Housing Services Committee this week Councillor Liz Jaeger praised the Housing Services team for their “tremendous work” this year, with a 17 per cent decrease in the number of households placed into temporary accommodation for the first time compared to last year.

However, she expressed concern about “the mixed picture we have in the borough,” citing the total number of households living in temporary accommodation, which has increased from 282 to 293. 

She said: “The awful thing is that we don’t get the numbers in temporary accommodation down, we don’t have the supply to get people out of there.”