Told by Gemma, Wellbeing Job Coach at Worcester Community Trust
“My client is in her twenties and was in care for some time. She initially came to me for support with her housing situation as she was at risk of being made homeless. I spoke to her Housing Officer who said she had not been engaging with them. On investigation, it transpired that she had told the housing provider she would take the property she had been offered and she had provided the documentation they required, but this had not been passed on. I collated a group email with her Housing Officer, the housing provider she had been speaking with, and those involved in arranging her potential accommodation. After some back and forth with concerns over affordability, I managed to get the client a property secured within 24 hours which she successfully moved in to.
“My client then wanted to look at support with her water and energy bills. We got reductions on these due to her being a care leaver and being under 25. I included her in the process, explaining everything and ensuring this was right for her.
“We started with weekly sessions and regular email contact to help her understand how to manage her on own bills, her Universal credit account and how to add entries on to her journal.
“My client would do research of her own between our meetings, and asked questions about anything she was unsure of. She wanted independence but felt that other agencies had not included her in the process. This was something she wanted some autonomy over, which I actively encouraged.
“After a few weeks of being in her new property my client found mould growing across the bathroom and storage floor and walls which progressively got worse. Between us we drafted emails to send to her housing provider explaining the situation and I advised her on how to manage damp and mould in the house until the source of it got resolved. The damp and mould created a health issue which affected my client’s breathing. I raised this with the housing provider and also encouraged my client to book a GP appointment to explain the situation and get a letter from them to explain how her health is being impacted. I gained the client a second visit from the housing provider after the first one did not solve the problem.
“Over our sessions my client has become more confident in advocating for herself, job searching and engaging in our wellbeing discussions. She now feels confident enough to raise issues she has around her housing situation by herself and is gaining confidence in her abilities to communicate her needs in a structured and concise way.
“My client describes the support we have provided as caring and nurturing. She feels listened to and heard and feels able to discuss her worries and explore issues she may have. She has found our holistic approach welcoming as some of the issues she presented required support across other projects. This has meant we could fully support her as an individual to start to gain control and independence in her life after a difficult start.”