Stigma was top of the list for many of the social tenants the Government engaged with, so most of this chapter is dedicated to the issue of stigma around social housing.
It also discusses the need to make the social housing sector more professional.
This chapter investigates how the social housing sector can be 'professionalised' to promote a good customer service culture, and asks whether social landlords should be reporting on the social value they deliver. It also discusses improving policies for tackling anti-social behaviour and measurements for judging how effectively landlords do this.
What we think:
We’d argue that a thriving community is one that is inclusive and supportive of all people, including those with mental health problems. Likewise a professional sector, with a focus on good customer service, should be inclusive and supportive. We would like to see better mental health training for social housing staff and effective support for tenants with mental health problems set as a key performance indicator.
A better understanding of mental health is also vital for understanding anti-social behaviour - we're concerned that this chapter doesn't fully recognise the relationship between so-called anti-social behaviour and mental health, and how anti-social behaviour can specifically impact people with mental health problems.
Have you been affected by, or been involved in, incidents of anti-social behaviour? How did your mental health problems play a part in this? What do you think could have been done to prevent this?
What kind of training do you think social housing staff should have, to help them work with people with mental health problems?
Share your views with the Government today via our online form here.
Find out more about our campaign on social housing at mind.org.uk/socialhousing