- by Beth, James' Specialist Support Worker
He tells us he feels less lonely and “gets out more now”, his confidence has grown, and he is ready to be matched with a Social Connection befriender
We met James whilst on outreach in our minibus to Unsupported TemporaryAccommodation (TA) in Manchester. James had been living in TA for over 10 years. He had multiple health conditions including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, and arthritis. James’ accommodation was unsuitable for him, as he had been placed in aroom on the third floor and struggled to walk up the stairs. His room was damp, infested with cockroaches, and he was sleeping on the floor as he did not have a bed. James was also very isolated in the accommodation, didn’t speak to any other residents, and had no friends or family.
We supported James to explore different housing options. We helped him set up a Manchester Move account, so he could bid on accommodation. James was illiterate, but had been given an online journal by Universal Credit and assigned a work coach who would send him messages. As James couldn’t read these messages, he missed several Universal Credit appointments and was threatened with sanctions. We advocated for James at a Job Centre appointment and made them aware of his literacy struggles. As a result, James’ work coach changed his account preferences to phone contact, so he could ring and speak to them instead.
We also had concerns about James’s ability to live independently as he did not know how to use a washing machine or an oven. After getting to know him, we recognised that he most likely had a learning disability. We completed safeguarding referrals to Social Services, who came out to complete a Care Act Assessment but said that James did not meet the threshold for support. We then accompanied James to his GP, who referred him to the Community Adult Learning Disability Service. A Learning Disability Nurse was assigned to carry out an assessment with James, which led to him receiving a Learning Disability diagnosis. This enabled him to finally gain support (from the local Occupational Therapist Team and Nursing Team) to live independently. We also helped James successfully apply for disability benefits and the higher rate of Universal Credit, so he now has a higher income and can afford his bills.
Around a year after we started supporting James, he was offered a property in an over-55s sheltered accommodation. We helped James with the move, attending the tenancy sign up and setting up his direct debits. We also applied to the Welfare Provision, and referred him to Mustard Tree, so he could get furniture for his flat including a bed, fridge freezer and microwave. We also arranged a three-way meeting with the onsite warden to go through James’s needs and how they could best support him, for example, reading his letters.
Now that James is settled and being supported in his new home, he has started attending the Social Connection Project trips with Justlife every month. This is where people moving on from homelessness undertake fun activities each month, to build positive relationships with others and try out new things. He has also been joining in with social activities for residents in his new supported accommodation. He tells us he feels less lonely and “gets out more now”, his confidence has grown, and he is ready to be matched with a Social Connection befriender.