Needs Analysis 2022 FLIP - Manual / Resource - Page 38
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4. Prevent homelessness
The number of people in emergency accommodation
in May 2021 rose to 57 which is an increase from 42 the
previous month, far higher than pre-pandemic levels.182
During lockdown, rough sleeping was ended overnight
due to effective partnership actions which provided
rough sleepers with safe accommodation. There
were 11 rough sleepers in 2019.183 The most common
reasons given for homelessness in Tunbridge Wells in
May 2021 is ‘other’ reasons (e.g., mental health, drugs,
and alcohol) and family or friends no longer willing
to accommodate.184 Overcrowded households which
may contribute to risk of homelessness affects 4,055
households in Tunbridge Wells, which is 8.6% and third
highest in Kent and Medway.185
The number of people seeking debt advice in Tunbridge
Wells has risen steadily since May 2020 according to
Citizen’s Advice from under 20 in May 2020 to over 70
in May 2021.186 Many of those seeking debt advice have
never previously suffered any kind of financial crisis and
are not all from the typical socio-economic profile.
5. Promotion of wellbeing and distributed access to
mental health services
265 people were admitted as emergencies to hospital
for intentional self-harm in 2019 (down to 238 people in
2020) the highest volume in Kent, and second ranking
across Kent and Medway.187 People with mental ill health
use more emergency care than people without mental
ill health (3.2 times more A&E attendances and 4.9 times
more emergency inpatient admissions). Whilst Tunbridge
Wells is not in the highest-ranking areas for suicide
prevalence at 10.2, it is higher than its similarly profiled
and neighbouring areas Tonbridge and Malling at 8.4
and Sevenoaks at 6.8.188 Tunbridge Wells is the third
ranking district across Kent and Medway for prevalence
of serious mental health disorder.189 The rural nature of
Tunbridge Wells with the urban focus being on the far
corner of the Borough, means that transport access to
some services is difficult and distribution of services is
weighted in the urban centre which is not equidistant for
most communities.
The number of people in
emergency accommodation
in May 2021
57
There were 11 rough
sleepers in 2019
11
Number of overcrowded
households which may
contribute to risk of
homelessness
4,055
The number of people
seeking debt advice in
Tunbridge Wells
70 +
People admitted as
emergencies to hospital
for intentional self-harm
in 2019
Tunbridge Wells is the third ranking district for serious
mental health disorders
NEEDS ANALYSIS
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