Today, the Making Every Adult Matter coalition is launching a new programme of work that will bring together 25 local areas across England to develop coordinated, effective support for people experiencing multiple needs, supported by Big Lottery Fund.
In these places, local authorities, statutory agencies and the voluntary sector are working together to transform the lives of people experiencing a combination of homelessness, substance misuse, contact with the criminal justice system and mental ill health. The local areas use a framework called the MEAM Approach to help shape their work and receive support and advice from MEAM coalition staff based across the country.
Some of the partnerships have already spent several years developing this work with the support of MEAM. Others are new areas starting a journey towards better coordinated services. The partnerships all share an ambition to work alongside people with lived experience of multiple needs to change systems for the better. We are appointing research consultancy Cordis Bright as our evaluation partner, who will help us to understand and measure our progress.
Over the next five years, we will work with the 25 MEAM Approach areas (rising to 40 by the end of the programme) and the twelve local areas that are part of Big Lottery Fund’s Fulfilling Lives: programme. By combining our evidence, knowledge and expertise, together we can ensure that everyone experiencing multiple needs across England reaches their full potential and contributes to their communities.
The new cohort of MEAM Approach areas is formed of 19 confirmed partnerships and six areas that we expect to become full members in the coming months. The 19 confirmed areas are:
- Adur and Worthing
- Basingstoke and Deane
- Blackburn with Darwen
- Cambridgeshire
- Coventry
- Doncaster
- Exeter
- Hackney
- Halton
- Hull
- Norwich
- North Lincolnshire
- Plymouth
- Preston
- Slough
- Southend
- Surrey
- Reading
- West Berkshire