Ipamo was unfortunately beset by difficulties during its pre-operational phase. The organisation had difficulties in achieving Business Case Approval and a series of setbacks to the building development of 107 Tulse Hill meant that the project fell further behind the intended schedule. The costs of the building project were rapidly increasing and the Ipamo’s partner organisation Lambeth Healthcare Trust (who were responsible for the capital development project), were keen to simplify. This was to the chagrin of Ipamo, who had poured fundraised money into the project to keep it on track and were frustrated by the costly redesigns and time delays which had already taken place. It was decided to demolish the existing building on the site and begin a new redesign. This pushed the estimated completion dates for the building from summer 1998 to after June 2000. In addition to this, there were internal ongoing doubts about whether Ipamo’s operational policies and procedures were functioning efficiently and effectively.

Ipamo were working within a political and economic backdrop which favoured cost competitive services and proven value for money. The shrinking amounts of charitable money available and the competitiveness of commissioners funding meant that a project such as Ipamo, which centred holistic, non-invasive, longer-term community interventions and treatments, worked against the funding grain. The organisation acknowledged this, noting the trends towards ‘Private Finance Initiatives’ and privatization more broadly in healthcare services at the time. (Our Mission c1998).

However, the organisation still delivered service activities as envisioned, with the Community Education Programme being rolled out across schools’, youth and young offenders groups, with new staff recruited to expand the reach of programmes and services.