Willow House | Threshold Services

Each flat at Willow House is self-contained, offering a private living and kitchen area, bedroom, wet room, and storage space. Tenants also have access to a shared communal room to socialise and connect with others.

Threshold manages this service in partnership with Choice Housing. To be eligible, individuals must have experienced mental health difficulties and be actively engaged with psychiatric services. In line with our funding, placements are available for a maximum of two years.

Willow House operates on Therapeutic Community principles, where there is a focus on recovery and personal growth. Tenants are supported to reflect on their life experiences and work towards their personal goals with tailored support. Everyone within the community is respected and encouraged to take on roles and responsibilities as part of their recovery journey.

How it Works:

Weekly Community Meetings: These meetings provide a safe space for tenants to share thoughts and feelings, discuss practical matters, and support one another. The meetings are facilitated by experienced staff, and all tenants and staff are expected to attend. Any decisions or changes within the community are agreed upon by tenants during these forums.
Group Activities: Tenants can participate in groups such as the cooking group, which helps build kitchen skills, and the social group, which encourages connection and social engagement.
On-Site Support: Staff are available Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, to assist with maintenance issues, personal support, and emotional well-being. Outside of these hours, residents are encouraged to be independent and must be fully self-medicating.
Keyworker Support: Each tenant is allocated a keyworker who provides a 50-minute safe space to talk each week, offering emotional support and guidance.

Eligibility

You can apply for a place at Willow House if:

Your primary diagnosis is mental health
You are over 18 years old
You have a mental health team
You are able to self-medicate and have been for 6 months
You have had a reduction in self-harm for 6 months or more
You are free from drugs and alcohol for 6 months or more
You think that you need support to stay out of hospital and are working towards living independently in the wider community
Your Social Worker, Community Nurse or Doctor agrees with the referral
You will have a community key worker for the duration of your placement
You think that living with other people and taking part in group activities including the running of the house, would help you to develop and maintain your independence
You agree to use the community programme, over the course of a two year period

: Once your application is submitted, the Project Manager will contact you to confirm it has been received. The Project Manager will also reach out to the person responsible for your mental health support — this could be your social worker, doctor, or community nurse — who signed your application form.
You will then be invited to visit Willow House, where you will have the opportunity to view the unit and meet both staff and residents. Some individuals may choose to visit before submitting an application.
At this stage, the Project Manager will work closely with your mental health support provider to ensure all the necessary information is gathered before meeting with you to continue the application process.
The information required includes:
TAF - Threshold Application Form – Client
PHF - Psychiatric History Form – Consultant Psychiatrist
SHR - Social History Report – Social Worker
Threshold Monitoring Form - Client
Any additional Forms required at the discretion of Threshold’s Management – i.e. Trust risk assessment, Forensic, Probation, Occupational Therapy Assessment and/or Reports
NB. The assessment process will not proceed until all of the above information is received to facilitate a review of the application and a Risk Assessment taking place.
: When the Project Manager meets with you, they will bring an assessment form with them. This will be filled in with your input and is to ensure that Willow House can meet your needs and your expectations. The Project Manager will then consider your application against the eligibility criteria.
Where there is more than one applicant they will look at who is in greater need of supported accommodation and who would benefit the most.
NB. The level of need will be influenced by an applicants’ housing status – that is, where they already live in their own home in the wider community, the applicant will be seen to have a lower level of housing need than someone who does not.
: If you are successful, the Project Manager will again contact you. At this point you will begin to visit the unit. This is to make sure that you are happy that you have made the right decision. At this time, using your assessment, you will help to draw up an initial support plan and this will be kept by you, as well as a copy on file.
Every resident at Willow House has a keyworker and this person will introduce themselves when you first arrive and will make sure that you settle in and know what to expect on a day to day basis.
: If we are unable to offer you a place we will explain this to you and your referrer and will suggest another route of support if we can.
: Where there are 2 or more applicants for a place we must decide who should be offered that place. This is done by an admission panel and this panel’s members are:
The Project Manager
A member of the local Health and Social Services Trust
The panel will place in order of priority those who are thought to be in greater need and ability to use support.
Points are given for each of the following areas:
Need for accommodation: 0 – 5 points, with 5 being the greatest
Need for support: 0 – 5 points, with 5 being the greatest
Ability to use support: 0 – 5 points, with 5 being the greatest
The person with the greatest number of points will be offered the place. Each decision will be recorded. Any applicant who is not successful will be given a full explanation and a copy of this will be sent to their referrer.