CQC registers services by the groups they support, and mental health is one of the largest. This covers community services, supported housing, and care at home for people whose primary need relates to mental health rather than age or physical disability.
What support looks like
Community based services. Outreach, floating support and recovery-focused work, usually not tied to where you live.
Supported housing. Accommodation with staff on site or visiting, from a shared house to a scheme with 24-hour cover.
Care at home. Practical and personal support in your own home, often alongside NHS community mental health teams.
Rehabilitation services. Structured support to rebuild independence, often after a hospital stay.
Section 117 aftercare, and why it matters
If someone has been detained in hospital under section 3 of the Mental Health Act, or certain other sections, the NHS and the council have a joint duty to provide aftercare free of charge.
Section 117 aftercare:
- Is not means tested, at all
- Cannot be charged for, whatever the person’s savings
- Has no time limit, and continues until both the NHS and the council formally agree it is no longer needed
- Covers services meeting a need arising from the mental disorder that led to detention, which can include supported accommodation and care
This is routinely missed. If someone was detained under section 3 and is now paying for mental health related support, that is worth challenging in writing.
Who pays for everything else
Ordinary mental health social care goes through the council means test like any other. Direct payments are available and often suit people who want control over who supports them and when.
If needs are primarily health needs, check NHS Continuing Healthcare. And if work is the issue, Access to Work funds mental health support and workplace adjustments without a means test.
Choosing a provider
Read the full CQC report, particularly safe and well-led. Then ask:
- How do you support someone when they are unwell, not just when they are stable?
- What is your relationship with the local community mental health team and crisis team?
- How is support adjusted as someone recovers, and how do you avoid people getting stuck?
- Do staff receive training in the specific conditions involved?
- How do you involve people in decisions about their own support?