An assessment of a hostel for mentally unwell men included a "cooking" test – boiling a pot of noodles – to prove they could live on their own.

The test was part of a review of 23 residents of Christchurch's White Wings Charitable Trust, all of whom have long-term mental health conditions.

A psychiatric nurse and case manager for some of the men called the review "shoddy" and said many would end up back in Hillmorton Hospital or on the streets.

Joseph Johnson/Stuff A group of men housed and cared for in a complex in what was temporary housing following the earthquakes with long-term mental health illnesses have three months to find a home after learning their facility will close on November 1.

The men live in seven houses owned by Ōtautahi Community Housing Trust, in Linwood Park. White Wings employs three staff to provide support including three meals a day, laundry services and medication supervision.

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Last week the Canterbury District Health Board (CDHB) told White Wings' residents it was ceasing an annual contribution of $105,000. The White Wings board decided to close the facility on November 1 after being notified of the funding cut.

Mentally vulnerable men in Christchurch were asked to boil a pot of noodles to show they could cook and live independently as part of a review. It found that only one of 23 men required supported accommodation.

The CDHB said mental health support had moved away from "putting people in large institutions many years ago" and a variety of housing and recovery services had developed to replace them over time.

A review commissioned by the DHB found only one man needed the level of supported accommodation the trust provided.

A White Wings staff member, who did not want to be named, disputed this. She said the reviewers did not spend enough time with the men to understand their limitations.

"I don't understand it. They don't live here with them, they don't walk in their shoes so how can they judge?" the staffer said.

Three residents were asked to show they could cook by boiling up some instant noodles and frying some mince – but this was not adequate to show they could live alone, she said.

Canterbury District Health Board (CDHB) executive director of planning and funding Carolyn Gullery said White Wings provided accommodation, it was not a mental health provider.

"While they set out to help men with mental health needs who might need a greater level of support in the community, the majority of men who stay there now don't need all-inclusive accommodation."

The CDHB psychiatric nurse said case workers and family members were not consulted for the review and the reviewers did not appear to have the men's clinical files or the expertise required to assess the men's level of illness, he said.

In one interview which the case worker attended, a client was asked if he could "make a rice meal" and answered that he could. This was accepted without question by the reviewer, the case worker said.

He said the man could probably cook a meal but would struggle to do this regularly.

"It's the illness, it's not because they are lazy."

Many of the men had a history of alcohol and drug dependency but being with White Wings helped manage those addictions, the case worker said.

"The beauty is [White Wings] take the money and manage it and there's not a lot left to spend on getting into trouble."

Closurewould leave few options for supported accommodation referrals, he said.

Mental Health Advocacy and Peer Support (MHAPS) manager Fiona Clapham-Howard said a comprehensive review of needs would "ideally" include consultation with family members and case workers, but this wasn't always possible.

"It definitely could have been done better but you also have to take into consideration time and resources available and I don't think that's necessarily a sign they haven't done a good assessment."

Clapham-Howard said she sympathised with the stress of losing their home, but the change could be what the men needed.

"It could be that something better comes out of it for them in terms of finding a level of independence that perhaps they haven't been able to imagine before."

Sometimes services could keep people "stuck" by having low expectations.

"It's a fine line between support and ending up with the belief 'I'm never going to get better'," Clapham-Howard said.