Bench Outreach is proud to announce an exciting new partnership with the NHS SLAM Mental Health 24/7 Hub — a one‑year pilot designed to bring our specialist welfare, benefits, and housing support directly into one of London’s most critical mental‑health crisis services.
Every day, the 24/7 Hub supports people at moments of acute distress. Many of those who come through its doors face overlapping challenges — mental‑health crisis, poverty, insecure housing, trauma, discrimination, and long‑term social exclusion. These pressures don’t operate in isolation. They intersect, compound, and intensify one another, often making it harder for people to stabilise, recover, and access the support they deserve.
This partnership recognises that intersectionality matters.
Mental‑health outcomes are shaped not only by clinical need, but by the social conditions people live in and the barriers they face. By embedding Bench Outreach’s specialist support within the Hub, we are helping to address the interconnected issues that can push someone into crisis — from benefits problems and debt to homelessness and unsafe living situations.
As an AQS‑certified organisation, Bench Outreach brings trusted, quality‑assured advice and advocacy into the heart of the mental‑health pathway. Our team is already working alongside clinicians to provide practical, life‑changing support that helps people stabilise their circumstances, reduce repeat crises, and move forward with dignity and confidence.
This one‑year pilot is more than a partnership — it’s a glimpse of the future.
A future where health is understood holistically.
A future where mental‑health care recognises the full complexity of people’s lives.
A future where clinical support and social support work hand‑in‑hand to create real, lasting change.
Together, we are building a more responsive, compassionate, and equitable approach to crisis care — one that sees the whole person, understands the complexity of their experiences, and provides the right support at the right time.
We’re excited about the impact this collaboration will have — and we’re only just getting started.
To find out more, visit: https://slam.nhs.uk/heather-close-community-mental-health-centre
