Look Ahead, NELFT launch new crisis house service

Published: 27th January 2025
Look Ahead and the North East London NHS Foundation Trust (NELFT) have announced the launch of Well House, a new crisis house service in Redbridge.
The building and front garden of Well House.

Well House, a new crisis house in Redbridge launched in partnership by Look Ahead and NELFT.

Look Ahead and the North East London NHS Foundation Trust (NELFT) are pleased to announce the launch of our Well House (Redbridge Crisis House) mental health service.

Based at a Look Ahead property in the London Borough of Redbridge, the service marks an exciting step in the partnership between our two organisations, with a focus on bringing mental health care away from hospital settings and into the community.

Using NELFT resources and Look Ahead assets, the service combines care, support and housing, offering a 24-hour service for up to seven people experiencing a mental health crisis. Well House provides individuals with a furnished one-bedroom apartment each and a psychologically informed environment.

The service includes dedicated NELFT staff who will offer clinical care and treatment on site. Meanwhile, drawing on existing crisis house experience, Look Ahead will deploy staff to support individuals towards longer-term recovery and resilience, identifying and addressing the source of the crisis, for instance challenges in personal relationships, financial stressors and/or housing and benefits related needs, among others.

We are confident this new approach will deliver better outcomes for individuals, a decrease in hospital re-admissions, and ease pressure on public services.

Nathan Rhodes, Head of Services for Complex Mental Health at Look Ahead said:

“We are excited to be launching Well House, our Redbridge Crisis House in partnership with NELFT. Our two organisations both bring different, but complementary skills to the table, and we look forward to seeing how this service delivers better outcomes for people with mental health needs across Redbridge.”

Caroline O’Haire, Assistant Director of NELFT’s Acute and Rehabilitation Directorate, said: 

“The Well House shows our commitment to providing compassionate, inclusive, and tailored care for those in crisis. With a trauma-informed, autism-informed, and equity-focused approach, we are ensuring that every individual feels seen, valued, and supported on their journey. This model recognises the diverse needs of service users and providing care that is both inclusive and sensitive.

“Thank you to everyone who has been involved in this exciting initiative, particularly the users of service without whose valuable contribution we would not have been able to ensure this meets the needs of those who may use the service in the future.”