My mother, Sheila Clouting, who has died aged 95, was a psychiatric social worker based in Sussex. While working at St Francis psychiatric hospital, Haywards Heath, she became aware that many patients suffered traumatic living situations that contributed to their illnesses. There were some notorious landlords in Brighton and Hove who treated their tenants very badly.
And so the idea of the Brighton and Hove Mental Health Housing Association was born. Sheila and colleagues established this in 1973 despite the chorus of doom-mongering naysayers who thought the venture was beyond the capability of a volunteer group. Ambitious plans to raise money led to the first house purchase in 1975 to provide a safe home for people using mental health services. From this early initiative, Southdown Housing Association – as the organisation was renamed in 1996 – has grown and now has 1,000 employees and helps more than 10,000 people each year. Sheila was associated with this venture in a voluntary capacity for 30 years.
She was born in Forest Hill, south London, a younger sister to Ron, and the daughter of Arthur Henley, a clerk at the Colman’s Mustard London headquarters, and Margaret (nee Gill), who had given up work as a teacher when she married. The family moved to Norwich with Arthur’s job when the company’s London offices were bombed. Sheila attended Norwich high school but had to leave at 16 because of the family finances and obtained work with the electricity department of the Norwich City Corporation; through her job she met Derek Clouting, an apprentice in the power station, and they married in 1952.
Throughout her life she regretted her truncated education and pursued opportunities for further study whenever she could through evening classes and distance learning. She used to obtain the required books by ordering through the mobile library system. She eventually qualified in social work at Sussex University, going on to specialise in psychiatric social work. She had particular involvement with patients who had addiction problems, usually with alcohol.
A significant part of her life was the Brighton and Hove Mental Health Association, set up in 1969. For many years this association operated the Sunday Clubs run by volunteers, Sheila among them, to provide support for those with mental illness. Out of this evolved the local branch of MIND, which she chaired for some time.
Her strong Christian faith drove her active determination to improve the lives of others and find ways to provide services for vulnerable people who were not getting the help they needed. She was a strong supporter of the Congregational and United Reformed churches in all the places she lived.
She cared for Derek until he died in 2018. She is survived by their children, Deborah, Simon and me, and seven grandchildren.
