To ask the Minister of Health for an update on his Department’s efforts to secure funding for a pilot for dedicated social work services in a psychiatric hospital.

The current Inter-Departmental Homelessness Action Plan includes an action for the Department of Health to seek funding for an evaluated pilot of a dedicated social work service in a psychiatric hospital to prevent homelessness on discharge. The proposal was for a pilot of a service to take place in Holywell Hospital within the Northern Health and Social Care Trust that would provide relationship-based support to bridge the difficult transition from hospital to stable accommodation. Unfortunately, due to budgeting constraints, funding has not been secured for this pilot. However, this remains a project that I would very much like to see implemented and one we will seek to retain on the Inter-Departmental Homelessness Action Plan.