2025/01/22 by Lauren Ng, Eddie Donaghy, John B. Conway +1 · 1 voice
Health Professions · Psychology · #Homelessness and Social Issues #Mental Health and Patient Involvement #Psychiatric care and mental health services
paper · pdf · doi:10.3399/bjgpo.2024.0198
openalex publication_date 2025/01/22 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
BACKGROUND: Co-location and integration of services within a psychologically informed environment (PIE) is recommended for people experiencing homelessness (PEH) but there are few examples of this in the UK. Such a centre opened in Edinburgh, Scotland in November 2021. AIM: To evaluate progress of the new centre. DESIGN & SETTING: This was a mixed-methods pre-post-test design study before (baseline) and 2 years after (follow-up) the move to the new co-located centre. The study took place in Edinburgh, Scotland. The baseline evaluation was conducted at two separate homelessness services and the follow-up evaluation at the new co-located centre. METHOD: = 25) and follow-up and analysed thematically. A service-user survey was also conducted. RESULTS: The staff survey showed significant improvements between baseline and follow-up in TIC, burnout, and team climate, together with improvements in support, service integration, and service-user care. Service users reported high satisfaction with the new centre. Staff interviews identified a more PIE, better staff support, and improved opportunistic multidisciplinary working over the 2 years of the centre opening. However, a number of barriers were also identified relating to the building and the IT systems. Further work on the centre's vision, short and long-term integration plans, workload, and sustainability were felt to be needed. CONCLUSION: Co-location of services for PEH in Scotland has led to reductions in staff burnout and improvements in team climate and service users' satisfaction over the first 2 years of opening. However, barriers remain and full integration requires a clearer vision and 'roadmap', requiring collaborative leadership and sustainable funding.