A NEW service offering support to people with mental health problems is being launched in Oxford.

Mental health charity Oxfordshire Mind has won three years' worth of funding from both the county council's Supporting People programme and the city council to set up a new community support worker scheme.

The service will be aimed at people who are at risk of becoming homeless.

John White, head of housing services at Oxfordshire Mind, said: "Having a stable home is a vital component in mental health, but when people are very unwell, it can be hard for them to manage their home lives.

"We will provide help where and when it is needed, so that they can gain greater stability in their lives and move on to their longer-term goals.

"There is a often a lot of misunderstanding surrounding people with mental health issues. They have dreams and want to work, to move forward with their lives and this is why we want to help.

"We will support people who want to return to education or training, or if they want to get back into work."

Mr White said the new 'floating supporter' workers would handle up to nine clients at a time and work with people for up to two years.

And he added that the service would work closely with community psychiatric nurses (CPNs) already working in the city.

He said: "This service will complement the work done by the CPNs and many of the people we will be working with will have been referred to us by them.

"But where they deal specifically with the mental health of people, we will be offering more support in other areas."

The new service will be officially launched at the Town Hall in St Aldate's on Friday at 12.30pm, with a presentation by psychiatrist Dr David Thurston and Graham Stratford, community housing manager for Oxford City Council.

Natalia Lachkou, of Oxfordshire County Council's social and community services, said: "It is so important for people suffering from long-term mental health problems to receive the help they need to live independently."