Managed Migration

Changes to benefits; are you affected?

The government plans to move existing benefit claimants onto Universal Credit by 2029 through a process known as ‘Managed Migration’. Read more here.

Southdown Steps team

Southdown Steps: Rebuilding lives of former rough sleepers in Worthing

Jim Aspdin, our Director of Housing and Business Services, shares how we repurposed a recently closed learning disability service to provide a lifeline for rough sleepers in the area.  Bringing forward the supply of new supported housing is challenging – requiring the identification of revenue funding for the provision of support and matching this with a […]

East Sussex Community Mental Health Services

Recommissioning of Mental Health Support Services in East Sussex

Ahead of the recommissioning of East Sussex community mental health services in September, we wish to engage and develop relationships with potential partners, either to help us deliver services, or to align their current services with the new model.

Community mental health support

Fair funding and contractual arrangements for community mental health services

On behalf of the VCSE sector across Sussex, appointed Reps wrote to mental health commissioners to share the current challenges facing the sector.

Pauline Ford, Chair of Southdown's Board

Chair of Southdown’s Board pledges commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

The Chair of Southdown’s Board has pledged to create a vision with our board to become more equal, diverse and inclusive by signing the National Housing Federation’s Chair’s Challenge. 

A landscape image of Hastings town and seafront. The sea is in the background.

Working together to best support local communities across Sussex

We recently sent a survey to commissioners of our services, our partners, and the wider VCSE sector to ask for feedback on how we do things.

Client of Southdown's learning disability services

Raising awareness about learning disabilities and campaigning for fair funding

Throughout Learning Disability Week (19-25 June), we are highlighting incredible things people accessing our learning disabilities services achieve. We’re also campaigning, on behalf of the wider care sector, for fair funding for learning disability support in Brighton and Hove.       

Renters Reform Bill

Protecting the future of supported housing

Our Housing & Property Services Senior Manager has been successful in influencing housing law reform to protect the future of supported housing.

Manager at Wellbeing Hub at Preston Park

Creativity and mental health take centre stage

As part of the Brighton city-wide Festival in May, our Wellbeing Hub at Preston Park is opening its doors to the local community to highlight how the arts can have powerful and lasting effects on health.

Homes for Homeless

Homes for Homeless campaign raises £100k

With the money raised, along with money Southdown has invested and Government funding, our Housing team has identified two self-contained flats in Eastbourne which we’re in the process of purchasing.

A woman with blonde hair and glasses helps a man with casual shirt on count money

Good CQC rating for our learning disability services

All of our Supported Living services have been inspected and rated as ‘good’ by the CQC.

Pauline Ford

New Chair of our Board Appointed

In September, we appointed Pauline Ford as Chair of our Board as we celebrate our 50th anniversary and embark on a refreshed five-year Business Strategy. Pauline has worked with a range of housing organisations and charities for over 28 years, most recently as an Executive Director at Peabody in London and as an independent consultant. […]