Advice Team

The HARP Advice Team consists of three very dedicated and dynamic mental health advice workers, all of who have extensive experience working locally in Manchester. Our workers provide advice on welfare benefits, housing and debt for people with mental health needs, aged between 18 and 64, living in Manchester.

Since it started in 1989, the reputation of HARP's Advice Work Team has grown steadily and we are now widely recognised, both by statutory services and service-users, as the best mental health advice team in Manchester.

We accept referrals from a variety of sources including GPs, CPNs, social workers, occupational therapists, community mental health teams and other primary and secondary care professionals. However, for anyone wishing to use HARP's advice service, the first point of contact for most is our popular drop-in service at the Zion Community Centre in Hulme.

HARP's advice workers also hold surgeries at the Edale Unit of the Manchester Royal Infirmary for two days of the week, providing an advice service for people currently under psychiatric care. Service users in these circumstances are often more vulnerable, and may not access the necessary services to ensure continuous contact with relevant agencies with regard to their housing and financial circumstances. We view this aspect of our service as particularly important, due to the greater likelihood of severe distress amongst service-users.