Collaborative Approach Leads to Opening of New Women-Only Mental Health Home in Swindon
ALABARÉ and Missing Link are coming together to operate a new women-only mental health home in Swindon, on behalf of the Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust (AWP).
ALABARÉ and Missing Link are coming together to operate a new women-only mental health home in Swindon, on behalf of the Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust (AWP).
The facility will be a first-of-its-kind for the area, offering women a safe, supportive and community-based space for respite and recovery as an alternative to hospital admission.
It is part of the BaNES, Swindon and Wiltshire (BSW) Mental Health Partnership, a collaboration of four local organisations, also including Second Step and Nilaari, that provides support to people facing mental health challenges in the region.
What is a Short-Term Mental Health Home?
ALABARÉ operates mental health homes in Swindon and Chippenham, offering short-term stays, usually of 7 to 10 days, after which guests return home.
They provide immediate residential non-clinical support, helping guests to find their own coping mechanisms and formulate a plan for their longer-term recovery towards positive mental health.
The new Swindon women-only mental health home, purchased and renovated by AWP, is due to open next month, with care delivered by ALABARÉ and Missing Link.
Helen Brian, Head of Mental Health Services at ALABARÉ, said:
“ALABARÉ’s women’s only mental health home in Swindon will be hugely beneficial to the care that’s offered to people facing a mental health crisis.
“It’s important to us that the service is accessible, trauma-informed and person-centred, as everyone’s journey through mental health concerns is unique. We’ve worked closely with previous guests to ensure the house is as comfortable as possible, while providing the best support.”
Coming together for the best outcomes
Women who have previously accessed mental health services with ALABARÉ and Missing Link have been instrumental in making the women-only crisis house a home, providing their input to décor choices, support mechanisms, and on-site facilities.
Mathew Page, Deputy Chief Executive at AWP, said:
“We’re really proud to have led the development of the new women-only mental health home, working closely with our voluntary sector partners ALABARÉ and Missing Link. This new space will give women in crisis a safe and supportive place at a very difficult time, helping many to avoid a hospital admission.
“It will make a real difference to women, their families and carers, while also providing a more compassionate and effective use of health and social care resources.”
The collaborative approach of the BSW Mental Health Partnership has been proving successful since it was set up in April 2025.
Over the last year, more than 600 counselling sessions have been delivered to people across Wiltshire, through the Access Community Mental Health service.
A survey of guests who have used ALABARÉ’s short-term mental health home in Chippenham found that 90% rated the support they were offered as ‘excellent’.
More broadly, more than half of people presenting to ALABARÉ services experiencing homelessness report that they have a mental health issue, with 82% of all rough sleepers having a mental health diagnosis.
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