Through winter’s chill, Together we heal

Services & Projects Oversight Manager: Andre Silva

Head of Regional Operations: Gianluca Zucchelli

The Through Winter’s Chill Service has Together’s Reading office at Rupert Square as a nominal address but the service itself will be delivered in the community. Wellbeing workshops and one to one sessions will be delivered at Prospect Park Hospital as well as other locations and the team will advise people referred to the service.

Together has been commissioned by Reading Borough council to support the NHS in Reading with the increase in hospital discharges during the winter period between November 2023 and April 2024. It is our aim to prevent hospital admissions as well as supports clinicians in faster discharges, helps service users to reintegrate back into the community after their hospital admission and also prevents relapse whilst providing support to people in their local community that assists patient’s recovery journey.

Together will be providing drop-in sessions on 2 days per week for patients at Prospect Park during their hospital admission. We will also be facilitating wellbeing workshops inside Prospect Park Hospital. This enables service users to learn to understand and express their emotions through creative activities, body work and mindfulness techniques whilst enhancing self-discovery, sharing stories with other service users, and improving their overall wellbeing.

Together will also be implementing the Reading PCN Neighbourhood pilot between November 2023 and April 2024. We will be working closely and receiving referrals directly from Social Prescribers and GP’s from Reading. Two Mental Health Wellbeing Worker employed by Together will be aligned to each of the GP practices within Reading.

The aim is for post-holders to work alongside GPs and social prescribers, helping manage the high volume of patients with low level mental health needs who could be supported by a non-clinical member of practice staff.

Our wellbeing workers will provide support to people from Reading communities with 1-2-1 support in the period from November – April 2024 whilst meeting service users in the community such as coffee shops, libraries and in community centres.

Please note this service is only for people over the age of 18.

Typical outcomes for people who use this service are:

• Benefits, support to maximise benefits.
• Debt, support to reduce debt.
• Housing, support to avoid eviction, support to maintain better housing condition.
• Reduce isolation, support to engage in activities, support to build or maintain relationships.
• Physical health, engage in activities that promote better physical health.
• Volunteering – support people to apply for volunteering and to engage in volunteering.
• Education – support people to enter or reenter education/training.
• Employment – support people to achieve financial independence through full time employment.
• Domestic abuse – support to avoid or reduce instances of abuse.
• Support asylum seekers and refugees integrating into the community.

What to expect from this project?

• 1-2-1 support will be provided by Mental Health Wellbeing Workers who will meet with residents in community locations, including coffee shops, libraries, and other community venues.
• A 1:1 person-centred non-clinical approach offering a goal oriented practical and emotional form of intervention to allow the service user to build self-confidence and self-agency.
• Support to access services in the community multiple times to allow for increased social engagement and building self-confidence.
• In-person, telephone or online support provided to each service user with the main focus on meeting people in person in the community.
• Psycho-education on how to better manage emotions and offering grounding and mindfulness techniques.
• Assist in the completion of a safety plan to identify triggers and how to prevent mental health crisis.
• Assist service users in their daily and weekly schedule planning to support their recovery.
• Signposting service users to local support groups and other organisations depending on their individual needs.
  Assist in filling in forms for benefits or housing applications.
• 24 hours after the service user has been discharged from the Hospital, they will be allocated to a team member of the Breathing Space for mental health crisis intervention and the Together Reading Community Outreach team to provide further 1-2-1 support for up to 9 weeks in the community.
• After hospital discharge, service users can also be signposted to our other services such as Breathing Space for mental health crisis intervention and the Managing Emotions Program to help identify and manage emotional dysregulation.

How to get in touch?

To access support, please email us at wintersupport@together-uk.org

Where is it located and when is it open?

This project will be available during the winter period between November 2023 and April 2024.

• On Wednesdays we will facilitate wellbeing workshops from 16:00 – 18:00 inside Prospect Park Hospital.
• On Mondays and Tuesdays we will provide drop-in sessions for patients inside Prospect Park Hospital offering 1-2-1 support between 15:00 – 20:00.
• On two days per week, two wellbeing workers will provide 1-2-1 support to people from the Reading community between 9 am and 3 pm whilst meeting service users in the community such as coffee shops, libraries