Lamb Street to the pod: the journey from 'service user' to citizen: a case study about Coventry City Council's award-winning Pod

Author(s)

THINK LOCAL ACT PERSONAL, NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT TEAM FOR INCLUSION

Publisher(s):

National Development Team for Inclusion, Think Local Act Personal

Publication year:

2017

This paper describes how Lamb Street Day Centre changed into The Pod, a place providing social brokerage to support and transform the lives of people with severe mental illness whilst also benefitting the wider community. Social brokerage aims to maximise an individual's connection to and inclusion in the community, and help to build social support networks. The Pod receives around 200 referrals a year, and people are supported to re-engage with their communities, access universal opportunities rather than ‘use’ services. The Pod, which is run by Coventry City Council, also hosts a café and manages a city-wide programmes, each bringing people together in a way that leads to positive social change. The paper includes short case studies which show how individuals have benefitted from the Pod. (Edited publisher abstract)