Nestled between residential homes, Airbnbs, and student digs, two large residences play home to Platfform’s temporary and permanent supported accommodation for people over 18 years, managed in partnership with Beacon (formerly Coastal Housing), and First Choice Housing Association, alongside the City & County of Swansea. The two properties add to Platfform’s current portfolio of supported housing for anyone who has experienced poor mental health and who needs a degree of assistance to live independently.

Support offered to tenants at both locations includes anything from practical skills, such as financial guidance, advice around substance use, help with applying for benefits or jobs, to activities that encourage social interactions and creativity. Residents are encouraged to join in with pastoral activities such as gardening, cooking, arts, crafts or gentle exercise like walk and talk sessions – anything that supports recovery and helps them to become independent within their community.

Property one, the larger of the two, essentially acts as a ‘stepping stone’ from emergency accommodation if someone has, for example, found themselves in a long-term B&B or has been admitted to institutional care such as a hospital. Moving into one of Platfform’s flats offers them full support for up to two years, to help them get back on their feet. Up until that point, Platfform’s Interim Floating Support Service offers guidance and assistance to residents, as well as supporting the development of skills, knowledge and confidence, to enable them to live in permanent independent accommodation, reducing the likelihood of them becoming homeless in the future.

Home to five self-contained one-bed flats on the upper two floors, the larger property has a ground floor communal area comprising an open plan kitchen/diner plus a toilet and laundry room further down the corridor. From the laundry room, a door leads to the garden which has undergone significant renovations in the last year or so. Residents and volunteers have transformed it from an unusable space into an area where they can sit and relax with a coffee, potter in the garden, or plant herbs in the raised brick bed.

Towards the bottom of the garden and tucked away at the back, another smaller area is accessed via steps leading to a log cabin. There are plans to renovate this space to transform it into a wellbeing area, where residents can use it for outdoor activities such as yoga or keep fit.

A few doors up from the larger property is property two, the location of Platfform’s newest supported accommodation, offering a permanent supported housing service. The four self-contained one-bedroom flats provide a peaceful environment that tenants can call home. The residents’ wellbeing is at the heart of everything the Platfform teams do, and they work to a model that supports and maintains a person’s recovery and independence.

Andy Terwee, Head of Service West, commented: “Our mission at this property is to provide a comforting home and tailored support for individuals over 18 years old who have encountered challenges with mental health. We work with tenants on a range of issues offering compassion and the support to help them to positively manage their own mental health and wellbeing effectively. The goal is to enable them to live fully independent lives within their own communities. Our support services include one-to-one visits by caseworkers from around 8am in the morning up to 6pm every week day. We know that people often need additional support outside of these hours, so we’ve set up a helpline for emotional support which is available Monday to Friday from 5pm-9pm or on the weekends from 9am to 9pm.”

The garden area at the back of the property has also been completely cleared and comprises storage lockers for bins, bikes or other equipment. Currently a blank canvas, plans for this space include a garden renovation where residents can sit outside and enjoy the fresh air, overlooked by the sprawling chestnut tree beyond the fence.

Sarah Green, Service Manager Swansea, commented: “Now that the new flats are fully operational, we’re really looking forward to seeing how the garden develops over the coming months. We have plans to create a space where tenants can sit outside and relax, so we’ll hopefully be in a position to host a garden party this summer for residents and their friends and family once it’s finished. We’d like to instal wooden tables and chairs and create a series of raised beds around the perimeter of the seating area to make it more welcoming and to boost residents’ wellbeing.”