Second Step Housing
Second Step is a Bristol-based mental health and homelessness charity founded in 1986, delivering NHS- and local-authority-commissioned mental health, housing, and wellbeing services to nearly 8,000 clients annually across seven South West England regions through over 300 staff and 25 services.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1986
- HeadquartersBristol, United Kingdom
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Second Step Housing does
Second Step is a registered society and exempt charity operating under the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014, delivering mental health, homelessness, and community wellbeing services across seven South West England jurisdictions (Bristol, Bath & North East Somerset, North Somerset, Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Swindon, and Wiltshire). Founded in the 1986-87 period by social workers and nurses in Bristol, the organisation has grown to over 300 staff delivering 25 services to nearly 8,000 clients annually, with sub-brands including Bristol Wellbeing College, BSW Recovery College, BSW Young People's College, The Sanctuary Bristol, and the Safe Haven Crisis & Recovery Centre in Weston-super-Mare.
The service portfolio is organised into four categories: Homeless Services (Step Together, Supported Housing, High Support Accommodation, Bristol Homeless Pathway, The Link Team, Forensic Team); Recovery & Mental Health (Community Mental Health Partnership, Community Rehabilitation, Beside Project, Get Connected, Hope Project, MINT Teams with Recovery Navigators); Community & Wellbeing (Wellbeing Colleges, Health Link, North Somerset Wellbeing, Open Mental Health, Somerset Crisis Safe Spaces, Step Down); and Innovation Projects (Golden Key consortium, Changing Futures). Delivery channels mix in-person support, digital self-referral, and Zoom-based courses. Services apply a proprietary Psychological, Adversity and Trauma-Informed (PAT) approach developed by an in-house psychology team led by Dr Jo Davies.
Revenue is generated through a combination of NHS Trust and local authority commissioning contracts, supplemented by charitable donations (e.g., via JustGiving) and grant funding for innovation projects such as Golden Key (National Lottery Community Fund). All services are free at point of use, with no pricing tiers or direct billing to individual end users. The organisation's customer base is effectively the public sector: NHS Trusts, Integrated Care Systems, and seven local authorities, complemented by referral pipelines through GPs, Avon & Wiltshire Mental Health Trust (AWP), Somerset Foundation Trust, Mind in Somerset, and the Homeless Health Service.
Second Step Housing firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Second Step Housing
- Legal name
- Second Step
- Website
- https://second-step.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1986
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Second Step is a Bristol-based mental health and homelessness charity founded in 1986, delivering NHS- and local-authority-commissioned mental health, housing, and wellbeing services to nearly 8,000 clients annually across seven South West England regions through over 300 staff and 25 services.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Second Step Housing industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Mental Health Services
- NAICS
- Community Housing Services (62422), Other Community Housing Services (624229)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Housing Assistance & Homeless Services (BPAGAEAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Homelessness Prevention, Shelter & Supportive Housing Services (BPAIANAC)
Keywords
Where Second Step Housing is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bristol
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices5 records
Markets served
Second Step Housing business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- NHS and Local Authority Contracts: Second Step works hand-in-hand with the NHS and local authorities to provide mental health services, suggesting contracted public sector funding for service delivery.
- Donations and Fundraising: The organization accepts donations through JustGiving platform and received a £1,000 donation from TasteTech for the Hope Project counselling services for men at risk of suicide.
- Charitable Grants: Golden Key is funded by the National Lottery Community Fund, indicating reliance on grant funding for specific innovation projects.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Free | Free community mental health services |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Second Step Housing product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Second Step Housing is a mental health charity that delivers accommodation and recovery-based support services for people experiencing mental health challenges and housing difficulties. Services span homeless accommodation, NHS-partnered recovery programmes, community wellbeing, crisis support, and free Wellbeing College courses across seven regions in South West England.
Product overview
Second Step is a mental health charity offering a portfolio of interconnected services across Bristol, Bath & North East Somerset, North Somerset, Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Swindon, and Wiltshire. The organisation operates Homeless Services (providing accommodation and support), Recovery & Mental Health services (in NHS partnerships), and Community & Wellbeing programmes (including Wellbeing Colleges offering free educational courses). Their Innovation Projects include partnerships like Golden Key and Changing Futures. The charity also operates crisis services including Safe Haven Crisis & Recovery Centre, The Sanctuary Bristol, and Somerset Crisis Safe Spaces. Second Step's services are delivered through various delivery mechanisms including in-person support, Wellbeing Colleges, and digital/online resources, with a focus on psychological, adversity and trauma-informed (PAT) approaches.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Golden Key: A partnership of 19 organisations working together across Bristol to improve services for people with the most complex needs including homelessness, mental health problems, drug and alcohol dependency, and offending behaviour.
- Wellbeing Colleges
Products and services
- Homeless Services A portfolio of homeless support services including the Forensic Team, High Support Accommodation, Mixed Homelessness Pathways (Bristol Homeless Pathway), Step Together, Supported Housing, and The Link Team, helping people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless find suitable accommodation they can call home.
Quantifiable outcome
- 100% visitor satisfaction at Safe Haven Crisis & Recovery Centre; 100% would recommend to family or friends
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Second Step Housing
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Second Step Housing technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Second Step Housing partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- NHScoreWorking hand-in-hand with the NHS to run mental health services which focus on the individual, providing practical help and emotional support tailored to each person's recovery. The NHS commissions various services including Community Mental Health Partnership and MINT Teams.
- BSW Mental Health & Wellbeing PartnershipcoreBath, Swindon and Wiltshire Mental Health & Wellbeing Partnership covering services in BaNES, Swindon and Wiltshire areas, running Recovery College and Young People's College.
- BNSSG Mental Health CollaborativecoreBristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Mental Health Collaborative Partnership for integrated mental health services.
- Open Mental Health AlliancecoreAlliance of mental health organisations including Second Step, working in partnership to provide mental health support to adults in Somerset. Includes Somerset Crisis Safe Space and Somerset Rehabilitation Team.
- Golden Key PartnershipcorePartnership of 19 organisations working together across Bristol to improve services for people with the most complex needs experiencing homelessness, long term mental health problems, dependency on drugs and alcohol, and offending behaviour. Funded by the National Lottery Community Fund.
- Avon & Wiltshire Mental Health Trust (AWP)corePartner with AWP for the Safe Haven Crisis & Recovery Centre commissioned by BNSSG Integrated Care System.
- Mind in SomersetcorePartner in Open Mental Health alliance delivering Somerset Crisis Safe Space and other mental health services.
- Somerset Foundation TrustminorHome Treatment Team referral pathway for Somerset Crisis Safe Space services.
- Homeless Health ServicecoreHealth Link is part of Homeless Health Service providing drop-in health services for homeless people in Bristol, based at the Compass Centre in Stokes Croft.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Second Step Housing competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Shelter: National housing and homelessness charity providing advice, advocacy and some supported services. Competitively overlaps Second Step's homelessness remit, but operates as a broader, less service-delivery-specialised incumbent.
Direct peers
- Crisis UK: National homelessness charity with embedded mental health and recovery support, competing for similar local authority contracts. Closely comparable to Second Step's homelessness-with-mental-health focus and partnership-based delivery.
- Together for Mental Wellbeing: National charity supporting people with mental health needs through advocacy, housing-related support and community services. Overlaps Second Step's personalisation, lived-experience involvement and community-based delivery model.
- St Mungo's: UK charity combining homelessness accommodation with mental health and recovery support, often commissioned by local authorities. Directly mirrors Second Step's Homeless Services + Recovery & Mental Health integrated model.
- Mind: National mental health charity delivering community support, advice, crisis services and NHS-partnered programmes across the UK. Highly comparable to Second Step in mission, NHS-aligned service model, and local/regional delivery footprint.
- Richmond Fellowship: Mental health charity running supported housing, recovery and community services in partnership with the NHS across multiple English regions. Closely comparable in service mix, NHS partnership model, and recovery-led approach.
- Rethink Mental Illness: UK-wide mental health charity providing supported housing, community services, and NHS-partnered programmes. Comparable to Second Step in service categories, regional delivery model, and local-authority commissioning.
- Look Ahead Care and Support: Provider of supported housing, mental health and community services commissioned by UK local authorities. Operates a similar service mix to Second Step's Homeless Services and Community & Wellbeing portfolios.
- Centrepoint: UK charity supporting young people (16-25) experiencing homelessness with embedded mental health support. Comparable to Second Step's homeless/young-adult cohorts and BSW Young People's College.
- Hestia Housing & Support: London-focused charity providing supported housing and mental health/refuge services for vulnerable adults. Comparable to Second Step's specialist supported housing and mental health pathways, though regionally concentrated.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Second Step Housing social profiles
Digital presenceSecond Step Housing compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Second Step Housing financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Second Step Housing leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Second Step Housing funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Second Step Housing M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Second Step Housing
What does Second Step Housing do?
Second Step Housing is a mental health charity that delivers accommodation and recovery-based support services for people experiencing mental health challenges and housing difficulties. Services span homeless accommodation, NHS-partnered recovery programmes, community wellbeing, crisis support, and free Wellbeing College courses across seven regions in South West England.
Is Second Step Housing a public or private company?
Second Step Housing is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Second Step Housing founded?
Second Step Housing was founded in 1986.
Where is Second Step Housing based?
Second Step Housing is headquartered in Bristol, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Second Step Housing make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. NHS and Local Authority Contracts are the primary driver. The others are donations and Fundraising and charitable Grants.
Who are Second Step Housing's main competitors?
Shelter is listed as a broad incumbent. Direct peers are Crisis UK, Together for Mental Wellbeing, St Mungo's, Mind, Richmond Fellowship, Rethink Mental Illness, Look Ahead Care and Support, Centrepoint and Hestia Housing & Support.
Does Second Step Housing have an API?
No public API is recorded for Second Step Housing.
What industry is Second Step Housing in?
Second Step Housing's product category is Mental Health Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAEAB, Housing Assistance & Homeless Services, with a secondary code of BPAIANAC, Homelessness Prevention, Shelter & Supportive Housing Services. Its NAICS code is 62422 and its SIC code is 8300.