A scheme to ensure spinal injuries patients at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) have access to suitable housing when they leave hospital, has been shortlisted for a national award.
The Housing Clinic at the Queen Elizabeth National Spinal Injuries Unit (QENSIU), part of the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital campus, works with patients throughout their treatment to help reduce the worry of whether a patient will have somewhere to live when they are discharged. It also has a significant impact on reducing housing-related delayed discharge.
The clinic is a collaboration between NHSGGC staff and housing charity Housing Options Scotland – and it is in the running for the Working in Partnership honour at the Chartered Institute of Housing’s Scotland Housing Awards, which will be held in Glasgow on 14th November.
Jennifer Cloughley, Specialist Occupational Therapist (OT), is one of the driving forces behind the Housing Clinic, which was set up in June last year.
She said: “It’s so exciting for the work we do to be recognised in this way. Even if we don’t win, being shortlisted for these awards is another major accolade for the National Spinal Injuries Unit and our work with Housing Options Scotland.”
Unsuitable housing is the second most common reason for delayed discharge among patients at the National Spinal Injuries Unit, with nearly one-third, or 32.5%, of delayed discharge attributable to this.
Because of this, supporting patients with suitable housing has always been a critical part of an OT’s role at QENSIU – but it can be very time-consuming.
Given the competing demands on an OT’s time, it could take weeks or even months to identify housing needs and make sure they were met.
So when Eve Young, Senior Housing Options Brokerat Housing Options Scotland, approached staff at QENSIU and offered her help, the team jumped at the chance.
“We needed to do something,” said Jennifer, “and Eve’s housing expertise has transformed the service we can give patients.
“It used to take us weeks, or even months, but Eve has so much knowledge and has built up relationships throughout the sector, so the whole process is so much quicker now.”
And that has been the experience of Allan Campbell, 53, from Drumchapel in Glasgow.
Allan was admitted to hospital in early July after he suffered broken bones and damaged his spinal cord in a fall, and from early in his treatment the worry of suitable housing was a real one.
“At first I was paralysed from the belly button down – I couldn’t move and had no feelings in my legs,” he said. “Housing has been part of the conversation about my recovery from early on in my time here.
“I live in a three-bed semi and while the kitchen is OK, I would have needed changes to bathrooms and bedrooms. The team looked at other housing options, but it was pretty clear I would need a new home.”
The OT team set up a meeting with Eve, getting Allan prepared as much as they could in advance to help make everything as straightforward as possible.
“Eve dealt with everything,” he said, “and that has reduced what would have been a huge extra stress on top of my recovery.”
Allan’s rehabilitation is going well and it’s likely he’ll be able to walk around his house with the aid of crutches – though he will need a wheelchair for the rest of his life.
The OT team assessed the housing available to him and his family – including his mum’s house. While his mum’s house will be suitable on a temporary basis, so that Allan’s discharge is not delayed, the search for a suitable home is ongoing with the help of Eve and the Housing Clinic.
“We’re looking for a new home, hopefully in the same area,” he said.
“I live with my partner and nine-year-old son, and my other son, who is 28, is just round the corner, so moving would be hard, not just for me but for the whole family.
“However, we have been realistic and have picked quite a few areas.”
Allan is making good progress and he’s feeling positive about the future – not least because of the help given to him by the QENSIU staff and the Housing Clinic.
“I’m due to get home by the end of November, and I’d like to thank everyone at the health board who has done so much to help me. The staff here have been fantastic, so positive and understanding, and they’ve all been so hard-working.
“It’s been really hard at times, but knowing that Eve and the Housing Clinic have been looking after my housing issues has been a huge weight off my mind.
“Eve was always there. It’s been so easy to see her, and she would always find time.
“I’m feeling really good now, and I appreciate the work everyone’s done in trying to get my needs resolved.”
Eve Young said: “I’m absolutely delighted to be nominated for the Working in Partnership Award at the Scottish Housing Awards.
“Over the past year, it’s been an honour to work so closely with the Spinal Injuries Unit at QEUH. Collaborating with the brilliant Occupational Therapists there to run our weekly housing clinics has been incredibly rewarding.
“Together, we’ve been able to support patients as they navigate their housing options and move towards more accessible, suitable homes. This nomination is a wonderful recognition of the impact true partnership working can have.”
Amanda Howat, Occupational Therapy Team Lead at QENSIU, said: “The people we see at the National Spinal Injuries Unit have generally suffered life-changing injuries or health issues, and they often face many months of treatment and rehabilitation.
“One of the main worries we hear is about whether they will be able to find suitable housing, and it’s an important part of our role here to assess a patient’s accommodation and, if necessary, to find the right alternative.
“The partnership we have developed with Eve and Housing Options Scotland has given us access to a whole new level of expertise, providing critical support to patients, reducing stress and worry, and allowing them to concentrate on their recovery.
“We would like to thank Eve and Housing Options Scotland for all they have done for our patients – and this nomination for the Scottish Housing Awards is fitting recognition for the hard work and professionalism of all our staff and partners.”
