Second Step

About us

Who we are

In the mid-1980s, a passionate group of social workers and community psychiatric nurses recognised that many people were in hospital not just because of their mental health problems, but because they had nowhere else to go.

Housing initiatives at the time didn’t give people the support they needed once out of hospital. So the group decided to set up a housing association to help this group of people. In 1987, we officially became Second Step, named in recognition of providing a step away from hospital, and one towards recovery and the hope of a better future.

In 2017 we launched our new brand which included a new logo and strapline; putting mental health first. This work clarified that we are a mental health charity registered under the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014.

What we do

Our work to support people with mental health problems in their homes is still at the centre of what we do. Working with our partners in Bristol, we’re proud that 65% of housing clients moved on successfully to live more independently in 2018/19.

We work alongside our clients in whatever emotional state they're in; working with them at their pace showing them respect at all times, gently acknowledging the possibilities for change. Being trauma-informed, recovery, peer support and coproduction are the four main ways in which we approach our work.

Our services can be found in Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire and Somerset.