Community Access Team (CAT) and Supported Employment

If you feel you would benefit from our service, please contact your GP, Social Worker or other professional you may be in contact with.

They will refer you via the Single Referral Pathway, and we aim to contact you within 6 weeks of receiving the referral.

The Community Access Team provides support to people with mental health problems, assisting them to reconnect with their communities and access leisure, hobbies, education, training and volunteering.

The team also provides assistance with supported employment.

Our Philosophy and Values

We believe that every individual has the right and the ability to be an active citizen within their community. Diversity makes a community rich and, with the right support and understanding, everyone can make a valued contribution.

We believe in promoting recovery and positive mental health. We aim to put you at the centre of your care and give you opportunities to contribute to the ongoing development of the service we provide.

What do we provide?

Getting started

Following a referral to the Community Access Team, you will be allocated a keyworker who will meet with you and the person who has referred you, if appropriate.

Your keyworker will explain the type of service we provide, how we work, what you can expect and then you can decide whether or not you feel this is the right service for you.

Following the initial meeting, future meetings take place in the community at a venue mutually agreed between you and your keyworker. The idea is for you and your keyworker to get to know each other, identify your goals and provide support to help you achieve those.

Throughout the process, support levels will be decided with the focus on maximising independence.

What we offer

The Community Access Team provides an individualised service to enable you to identify your wishes, dreams and aspirations. This might mean supporting you to reconnect with a past hobby, sport, activity, employment or helping you to try something new.

We provide a friendly person centred service, enabling you to recognise your strengths, abilities and gain new skills or experiences.

Our staff have a great deal of experience in supporting people with mental health problems, a wealth of knowledge on available activities and are trained in promoting inclusion and supported employment.

The length of time that you might be accessing the service will vary according to your individual needs, and may range from a few weeks to a few months.

You and your keyworker will work in full partnership to decide the way forward, set goals, access activities or employment.

What people say about our service

"The placement that was found for me was excellent - just what I was looking for".

"I felt my support worker very easy to talk to and friendly. That helped me a lot. I achieved a lot of my goals and now I am more motivated towards my goals in life".

"I'm grateful for this service as it's making me grow and become more confident".

"It has given me confidence to lead a positive life to help others".