Press Release

Bringing vulnerable people in from the margins - new cross sector coalition launched

01 December 2008

Clinks, DrugScope, Homeless Link and Mind announce groundbreaking joint campaign, 'Making Every Adult Matter' – supported by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation - to address the plight of some of the most socially excluded and vulnerable people in Britain.

Today, Clinks, DrugScope, Homeless Link and Mind announce the launch of a powerful new partnership, Making Every Adult Matter, which will work to improve policy and service provision for adults with complex problems and multiple needs. The four charities, representing the criminal justice, substance misuse, homelessness and mental health sectors, recognise that their clients often cross over - and can fall between - their services.

The fact that those with complex and multiple problems do not always get the support they need has been recognised by government, but much remains to be done. The extent of the problem is demonstrated time and again by research that shows, for example, that one in four prisoners leaves prison without a settled address; that around 7 in 10 people seeking drug or alcohol treatment experience mental health issues, or that 13 per cent of care leavers are homeless at age 19.

At today's conference, the coalition will launch a report, In from the Margins: Making Every Adult Matter, setting out the coalition's priorities and marking the beginning of a crosscutting approach to reconfiguring services and policy. The Making Every Adult Matter coalition will be researching and evidencing the problems faced by those with multiple needs in order to influence government and effect change across a number of key areas, which are critical to current Government thinking and to service development across all four sectors. The work of the coalition is supported by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation.

Clive Martin, Chief Executive of Clinks, said:

"We know that prison has a poor record for reducing reoffending with nearly 70 per cent of offenders being reconvicted within two years of being released. For these individuals to change, they invariably need long term support from a broad range of specialist services including housing, drug treatment and help to manage their mental health problems. Voluntary sector organisations working with offenders and their families need to be commissioned in a way that ensures that they can address the challenging issues facing marginalised and vulnerable adults."

Martin Barnes, Chief Executive of DrugScope, said:

"Launching Making Every Adult Matter marks our commitment to helping the most marginalised and excluded people in our society by working in partnership to effect change. DrugScope members tell us that addressing someone's drug misuse without helping them find somewhere secure to live, or enabling them to access treatment for mental health problems, is unlikely to be enough. People's problems don't occur in isolation from one another - nor can they be addressed in silos."

Jenny Edwards, Chief Executive of Homeless Link, said:

"This new coalition, Making Every Adult Matter, bringing together frontline experience from across four sectors, creates a powerful new voice for system and service change on behalf of people who are on the margins of society. We will seek recognition of the issue so people with multiple needs become visible within local area and national thinking. There is an overwhelming business case to join together the services people need far more effectively so that they can move forward in their lives."

Paul Farmer, Chief Executive of mental health charity Mind, said:

"People don't fit into boxes, and this is never more apparent than when dealing with chronic social exclusion. Hardest to reach are usually those who have a combination of problems, including mental health issues. For people who fall into more than one category, support services often don't know where to start. The coalition will help pave the way for greater investment and more joined up services, so that people who are currently falling through the gaps stand a chance of playing their full part in society."

Andrew Barnett, Director of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, said:

"The way we as a society treat the most vulnerable in society is one of the benchmarks of our civilisation. We aim to enrich and connect the lives of individuals and to help everybody to reach their full potential. We are therefore delighted to support partnerships and coalitions such as this as a means of working towards the full participation of everyone in society."

Notes to editors:

About Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation

The Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, which is supporting this partnership and conference, was established in Lisbon in 1956. The UK Branch of the Foundation, based in London, has for more than 50 years initiated and supported pioneering social, cultural and educational developments across the UK and Ireland. The Foundation's purpose is to help enrich and connect the experiences of individuals and secure lasting and beneficial change in their lives. It has a special interest in supporting those who are most disadvantaged. International and involving in its outlook, the Foundation is committed to innovative practice and the exchange of ideas.