Section 117 Aftercare Explained: How to Choose the Right Provider
When an eligible person leaves hospital following detention under the Mental Health Act 1983, their legal entitlement to section 117 aftercare begins immediately. Discharge from a psychiatric hospital does not mark the end of care; it marks the point at which responsibility shifts from inpatient treatment to aftercare services delivered in the local community.
Section 117 (often referred to as 117 aftercare) exists to ensure that people with a mental health condition are not discharged without appropriate assistance. There is a statutory duty on health and social care bodies to arrange free aftercare for as long as those services are needed, preventing relapse, readmission, and avoidable harm. When delivered well, mental health aftercare becomes a bridge to stability, independence, and continuing recovery.
This guide explains how section 117 works, what aftercare services should include, who is responsible for delivery, and how to identify a specialist mental health service capable of supporting complex needs over the long term.
What Is Section 117 Aftercare?
Section 117 of the Mental Health Act 1983 creates a joint legal duty on the Integrated Care Board and the local Social Services Authority to provide aftercare services to individuals previously detained under qualifying sections of the Act.
Most commonly, this applies to people detained under:
Once a person leaves hospital, the duty to provide aftercare services begins immediately. Crucially, this duty exists regardless of financial circumstances. Section 117 requires the provision of free aftercare, meaning no charging, means-testing, or eligibility thresholds apply.
Statutory guidance clarifies that the duty continues for as long as the person’s mental disorder creates a need for such services. Aftercare only ends when both the Integrated Care Board and local authority formally agree that the duty to provide aftercare services is no longer required.
Who Is Eligible for Section 117 Aftercare?
A person is eligible for section 117 if they:
- Were detained under a qualifying section of the Mental Health Act
- Are discharged from a psychiatric hospital
- Require ongoing support linked to their mental disorder to prevent deterioration
Eligibility is not diagnosis-specific. It extends to people whose mental disorder presents alongside:
- Autistic spectrum disorders
- Co existing physical disability
- Physical health problems or ongoing physical healthcare needs
- Forensic histories, including where a person convicted has been transferred from custody
- Young people transitioning into adult services, where the young person’s age creates additional vulnerability
Eligibility only applies if the person was previously detained under a qualifying section – voluntary patients alone are not entitled, however a formerly detained person may continue receiving Section 117 aftercare even if they remain or return as a voluntary inpatient.
What Should Section 117 Aftercare Include?
Government guidance is clear that Section 117 aftercare should go beyond clinical follow-up and medical treatment. Aftercare services must address the full spectrum of mental health needs, social needs, and functional challenges linked to the person’s mental condition. Effective after care services commonly include:
Health-Related Services
Support from a community mental health nurse, psychiatrist, psychologist, or other clinicians, alongside medication management, physical healthcare, and continuing mental healthcare.
Social and Practical Support
Access to employment services, support to claim housing benefit, assistance with daily living, transport, and help navigating social services and local government systems.
Accommodation and Stability
Provision of specialist accommodation or ordinary accommodation within the local community, ensuring tenancy rights and stability rather than institutional dependency.
Crisis and Risk Planning
Clear crisis contact details, coordination with the community mental health team, primary care team, and – where relevant – the national probation service. The guiding principle is that such services should be delivered with as few restrictions as possible while maintaining safety and dignity.
Who Is Responsible for Coordinating Aftercare?
Responsibility for coordination usually sits with a named care coordinator, working within the community mental health framework. This coordination role ensures that all relevant parties remain aligned and accountable.
Aftercare planning typically involves:
- The community mental health team
- A community mental health nurse
- The primary care team
- Social services and housing teams
- An independent mental capacity advocate, where mental capacity is in question
The person’s aftercare plan must be co-produced and reflect both clinical and social recovery goals. Where appropriate, this may include a personal health budget, direct payments, or other flexible funding arrangements.
Gray Healthcare provides specialist supported living and clinically informed community care packages often commissioned as part of statutory Section 117 aftercare pathways for people leaving hospital with complex mental health needs.
The Aftercare Plan: What It Must Include
A lawful and effective aftercare plan should clearly set out how a person’s mental health needs will be met following discharge. It must reflect the individual’s circumstances, risks, and recovery goals, while defining responsibility across the system.
At a minimum, the final aftercare plan should specify:
- The specific aftercare services to be provided
- Who is responsible for delivery across health and care systems
- How needs arising from the person’s mental disorder will be addressed
- Arrangements for review, escalation, and crisis response
- Involvement of relevant voluntary organisations and other relevant parties
Where a person requires support with housing, healthcare, or social inclusion, these needs should be explicitly recorded. Poorly defined aftercare plans remain one of the most common causes of breakdown, dispute, and avoidable readmission.
Choosing the Right Provider
Not all providers are equipped to deliver section 117 aftercare for people with complex needs. Commissioners and practitioners concerned with long-term outcomes should assess providers against five core criteria.
Experience with Complexity
Does the provider support people with autism, forensic histories, physical health problems, or those stepping down from long-term inpatient care?
Clinical Oversight
Is the service clinically led, with robust governance and risk management embedded into daily delivery?
Housing and Integration
Can the provider support people into ordinary accommodation within the local community, rather than defaulting to restrictive placements?
Co-Production
Does the provider genuinely involve the person, families, and practitioners concerned in shaping care?
Evidence and Accountability
Can the provider demonstrate outcomes and withstand scrutiny from regulators or the health service ombudsman?
The Gray Healthcare Approach
Gray Healthcare delivers specialist supported living and continuing mental healthcare for individuals whose needs cannot be met by traditional models. Our approach is rooted in clinically informed, trauma-aware practice and a deep commitment to person-centred recovery.
Working in partnership with Integrated Care Boards, local authorities, and community mental health teams, we design bespoke section 117 aftercare packages for people with complex mental health needs, including young people transitioning into adult services, adults leaving secure care, and individuals with co-existing physical disability or neurodevelopmental conditions.
From Hospital Discharge to Sustainable Community Living
What sets our model apart is not just robust clinical oversight and multi-disciplinary planning, but measurable, real-world outcomes that stakeholders and professionals themselves report. The people we support and the professionals who commission care often describe transformative change.
Gray Healthcare’s supported living model is not a generic placement. It is a deliberately tailored, clinically integrated, and outcomes-focused pathway designed to support individuals with high complexity to live well in the local community, fulfil their recovery goals, and reduce the likelihood of crisis readmission.
Why Section 117 Aftercare Matters
When aftercare is poorly coordinated, people fall through gaps between systems. This can result in relapse, readmission, homelessness, or escalating risk – often at far greater cost to health and care systems. When done well, section 117 aftercare enables people to rebuild their lives safely, maintain stability, and remain part of their local community.
Start the Conversation Today
Early planning can prevent crisis and support a smoother transition into community living. Reach out to us today to discuss a referral or speak with our team.