Supported Living For Adults With Complex Mental Health Needs

Minimising challenging behaviours through careful planning and management of the individual’s surroundings, mitigating potential triggers, and thoroughly risk assessing their activities and surroundings – these are just some of our core areas of focus when it comes to supporting individuals with a history of extremely challenging behaviours.

Our membership of the Restraint Reduction Network (RRN) and accreditation as PRICE trainers (Protecting Rights In a Caring Environment) ensures we can equip our teams with all of the skills and knowledge needed to de-escalate situations and minimise risks in the first instance, and essentially to keep themselves and the client safe at all times.

Each adult who becomes a Komplex Community client is found a suitable property to live in, with the support of our specially-selected property partners. These partners oversee all aspects of their tenancy and maintenance of their home – ensuring that the property remains suitable for their needs throughout the duration of their placement.

We work closely with the property partners to ensure that the accommodation is suitable – for example, that the layout of the home is suitable for the individual and the number of people that will be supporting them around the clock. Depending on the community access needs of the individual, we may choose to place those who prefer tranquil locations in a rural property, while those who like to be out and about in the community more often may opt for a more urban location to live.

Our community supported living placements focus on achieving the very best outcomes for each client – which includes a range of activities which they enjoy and help them work towards their personal goals. We encourage each client to access their local amenities, join community activities, and explore the areas around their home. Our placements focus on ensuring a sense of belonging: of living in a home they can call their own, of being part of a community, and of having a team of people who care about them surrounding them.

We are experts in working with clients who have a huge range of communication needs, from those with no additional communication needs to those who are entirely non-verbal. The assessments we undertake prior to taking on a new package will include an extension exploration of how best to communicate with them – whether they use Makaton signs, PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System) cards, BSL (British Sign Language), require social stories to help explain activities to them, or any other methods of verbal or non-verbal conversation.

Our service is very much set up to support those with high-acuity mental health issues, which cause considerable symptoms and/or challenging behaviours. We also work with individuals who have dual or multiple diagnoses – for example, they may have a mental health diagnosis plus a learning disability, autism or ADHD. The overall aim is to enable the person to live well in the community, rather than being resigned to a long-term placement in an inpatient setting, or even ending up in a forensic setting.

Most of our clients come to us after numerous failed placements, or from an inpatient setting such as a mental health ward. By providing a thorough assessment ahead of their care beginning, having a clinical and operational team in place to oversee each package, and by taking into account why previous placements have failed, we are able to overcome the issues which presented themselves beforehand. We will focus on ensuring the individual can take an active part in community activities, work towards their own personal goals, and has all of their clinical, social and communication needs looked after.

Our property partners will oversee the tenancy on their home, looking after any repairs or maintenance needed on the property. And we take care of all of the support the individual needs. Each person has a bespoke care plan which looks at all aspects of their life, from their daily medication to meal and activity schedules. As well as a dedicated support team and service co-ordinator, each client has an operations manager who oversees the logistical and practical elements of the package, and a nurse who takes care of all their clinical needs.