NHS Pressures: Thousands of patients occupy hospital beds longer than necessary due to a lack of suitable housing or care options. Step-down housing helps free up beds and ensures smoother transitions in and out of acute care, enabling specialist assessments to be undertaken by a range of professional staff.

Social Care: The model supports people of all ages experiencing mental health issues, helping them recover or settle in a safe, less clinical environment, easing demand on inpatient services, whilst offering support, advice and respite breaks for social workers and carers.

Cost-effectiveness: Step-up step-down housing is significantly less expensive than hospital or residential care, preventing admission to institutional settings and offering better value for public spending and improved outcomes for individuals. It enables a focused, time-limited intervention and outcome plans to be developed to enable the person to return to their own homes.