The work of Elmore Community Services’ Floating Support Team – A review of the current context and how the work is defined (2024)

A new report by Lesley Dewhurst, one of the founding members of Elmore, validates the work of the floating support team more than 35 years on from its founding. This review reflects on definitions of “complex needs” used in the past, and changes in the work and the language used over the years. In the pages of this report, you will see the work of Elmore’s floating support team being brought vividly to life.

Evaluating Elmore and Complex Needs Services’ Assistant Team Therapists (2024)

A new evaluation about Elmore’s partnership with Complex Needs Service shows our Assistant Team Therapist role helping to reduce waiting lists and increase the support available to people on a speedier basis. The project achieved its aim, freeing up CNS clinician time and demonstrating that Assistant Team Therapists (ATTs) could be recruited speedily, trained to run MBT group sessions, and able to take on most administrative tasks. The project has ended, having achieved what it set out to do, but as the evaluation demonstrates, the impacts will be felt for a very long time indeed.

Evaluating Elmore’s Fresh Start Pilot (2023)

A new independent evaluation by Imogen Blood and Shelly Dulson, two top social researchers, has highlighted the advantages of embedding multiple needs caseworkers in the homelessness hostel service in Oxford. Established to improve health and housing outcomes for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness, the Elmore Homelessness Prevention Pilot (also known as Fresh Start) has been in partnership with Homeless Oxfordshire and Oxford City Council. Imogen Blood & Associates are a leading agency with an impressive track record that includes investigating the feasibility of a housing-led response to homelessness across Oxfordshire

Evaluating Elmore’s contribution to the Rise & Shine Service (2023)

Named Rise & Shine because of the suggestion of a client, the service was set up to support people throughout a time of extremely challenging circumstances which started with the COVID-19 pandemic and continues with the cost-of-living crisis. This evaluation uses data to understand our impact and the importance of preventative and early intervention support, particularly for older people. By supporting the people aged over 65, the partnership has been filling a gap in service provision as there are no other mental health floating support services for this age group in Oxfordshire.

Evaluating Elmore’s FSP Domestic Abuse Service (2023)

Elmore’s Family Solutions Plus Domestic Abuse service supports domestic abuse victims/survivors and perpetrators across Oxfordshire. The evaluation uses data to understand the profile of clients in this service, the requests for intervention, assessments, and interventions received by Elmore, and our impact on clients. This evaluation has a quantitative analysis of impact, supported by case studies and stories told by clients using the Most Significant Change methodology. This combination of methods shows the reality and challenge of the domestic abuse service and how there is no one type of domestic abuse.

Evaluating Elmore’s Tenancy Sustainment Service (2022)

Elmore’s tenancy sustainment service supports vulnerable people to develop the tools to remain in their own council homes. The evaluation uses data for the financial years 2016/2017 - 2021/2022 to understand the profile of clients in this service, providing insights into the prevalence of domestic abuse, sexual violence, and modern slavery (cuckooing). It also utilises a cost-effectiveness analysis to identify that Elmore’s service has saved the public purpose more than £535K in the period covered by this evaluation, although the cost saving for particularly complex clients can be far higher.

Evaluating the impact of Elmore’s Waiting List Engagement Role (2022)

During COVID-19 and the first lockdowns, Elmore’s waiting list increased. Caseworkers were concerned about closing cases for safety reasons. Clients being supported by Elmore required more support than usual at this time because a large number of clients were destabilising due to the adverse effects of the pandemic. Elmore developed a waiting list engagement role to offer support during the wait and better understand the needs of potential clients. This evaluation reflects on the impact of the role.

Evaluating Elmore’s Complex Needs and Mental Health Floating Support Services (2022)

Elmore’s complex needs and mental health floating support services enable people to stabilise their lives and provide practical and emotional support to manage their mental health. This evaluation uses data for the financial years 2016/2017 to 2020/2021 to understand how a person requiring support becomes an Elmore client and the outcomes of support. It also utilises a cost-effectiveness analysis to identify that Elmore’s services have saved the public purse £1.9m over five years, although the cost saving for particularly complex clients can be far higher.

Researching the extent and nature of Modern Slavery in Oxford (2022)

This ground-breaking research has used a case-based methodology to identify that there may have been between 319 and 442 ‘possible’ or ‘very likely’ cases of modern slavery in Oxford City from 2016 to 2020. This is considerably higher than the number of cases recorded by Thames Valley Police and is leading to the development of an action plan by the Oxfordshire Anti-Slavery Network, which Elmore co-chairs.

Evaluating Elmore’s New Beginnings for Adult Survivors of Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) Service (2021)

Elmore has supported adult survivors of child sexual exploitation (CSE) since 2016, following Operation Bullfinch which uncovered 300 people who had potentially been victims of CSE in Oxfordshire from 1999 to 2014. An independent evaluation and a 360-degree reflection on the service’s operation and impact (including during the COVID-19 pandemic) was concluded in 2021.

Mental Health in Oxfordshire—Children and Young People (2019)

A report was compiled into the levels of need in the youth mental health sector in Oxfordshire by Oxfordshire Discovery College and Oxfordshire Youth. The report utilised national and local data, current guidance and research, to establish whether a new mental health service for children and young people should be established using the ‘Discovery College’ model. Following the report, the Oxfordshire Discovery College was established and legally placed under the umbrella of Elmore.

Evaluating Elmore’s Modern-Day Slavery and Exploitation Service (2016-2017)

Elmore innovated and provided an Independent Trauma Advisory Service to victims of modern-day slavery and various forms of exploitation in Oxfordshire. The service looked at the overall needs of the victim, whether this was with finances, housing, benefits, or emotional support, and attended police raids, so that victims received support straightaway whilst the police focused on criminal investigation.

Running from 2014-2016/17, this service was evaluated by Dr Nadia Wager and Angel Wager in 2016-2017 to determine benefits, identify factors which facilitated and inhibited work with clients, and highlight areas of good practice.

An estimate of the extent of modern-day slavery and cost-benefit analysis of the service accompanies the evaluation.

Evaluating Elmore’s Anti-Social Behaviour Intensive Support (2009)

From 2007 to 2015 Elmore provided an Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) service to support people with multiple needs subject to ASB orders, including young people causing ASB and those at risk of losing their tenancies. In 2009 the service was a finalist in the Social Landlords Crime and Nuisance Awards for exemplary practice. In the same year an Interim Evaluation was published.

Catching People Who Fall Through The Net—Elmore's Work with Rough Sleepers in Oxford (2004)

National charity Shelter published Catching People Who Fall Through The Net in 2004 after fifteen months of monitoring Elmore’s work with rough sleepers in Oxford.

Inhabiting the Margins—The Elmore Model and Working with People with Multiple Needs (2001)

The Elmore Model was outlined in Inhabiting the Margins, a report launched at the National Homeless Alliance Conference for agencies seeking effective models for working with people who have multiple needs.

Reflections on Dual Diagnosis in Oxford—User and Agency Perspectives (1999)

A 1999 report was written by researcher Jeremy Spafford to map and recommend improvements to local services for people with the dual diagnosis of mental ill health and substance misuse.

The Needs of Mentally Disordered Offenders in Oxford City (1994)

In 1994, Elmore published a report which examined the mental health needs of offenders in Oxford.

A Little Local Difficulty: The Management of Difficult-to-Place People in Oxford (1992)

In 1992, the International Journal of Law and Psychiatry published an article by Jon Vagg about the development of Elmore Community Services.

Filling the Gaps (1989)

In 1989, Elmore told the story of its development and how it helped to move complex needs into the mainstream.

Support for Difficult to Place People in Oxford (1986)

A 1986 report by the Elmore Committee identified 138 so-called ‘difficult to place’ people in Oxford. The concern developed that people with multiple and complex needs were living on the margins of society and services. That report launched Elmore to support people experiencing multiple problems which compounded each other and required support from several agencies.