Robbie came to us from a 24 hour supported accommodation placement and prior to that was in a homeless hostel. Robbie was referred to us because he was ready to move out of a group setting but unable to manage a tenancy independently due to his mental health difficulties. He had little family support and was in the early stages of an assessment to diagnose and manage his mental health condition however was struggling to access these services.
When Robbie first moved in he struggled with being alone after living in close quarters with many other young people. His support worker would visit weekly to find various friends sleeping on the sofa after an evening of heavy drinking. Inevitably this lifestyle caused problems at the property and it was time to say enough is enough. Robbie’s Support Worker spoke to him about the company he was keeping and the effect this could have on his tenancy, as well as his mental health which was still yet to be properly addressed.
With a support plan in place, Robbie began to make changes and started treating the property as his home instead of a place to party continually. His support worker helped him get registered with the local GP as well contacting Mental Health Services to follow up on appointments, taking Robbie to these appointments and to collect his prescriptions.
Robbie’s support worker could now help him access relevant benefits relating to his condition and set up a savings account in order to budget and manage his money for the future.
Although Robbie is now getting the right support – he still struggles and can be very up and down which can affect his progress. Despite this, has shown that he is determined to improve his life and is finding things he can do to improve his mental health holistically. Robbie attended a volunteering placement with his support worker, and now goes independently at least once a week which is a great way to make friends, gives him a meaningful use of his time, and simply helps him to get out of the house. Robbie and his support worker have also done an induction at a local gym together and Robbie hopes to join soon as way to improve his physical and mental health.
Robbie has been in his Moving On property almost a year now, and whilst he has made progress he still requires the support and security of his support worker visiting once a week to help with any issues he has or to simply go for a walk, grab a coffee or have a chat (the value and impact of positive and constructive conversation shouldn’t be underestimated). Robbie frequently thanks his support worker for improving his day after they visit which in turn really makes their day too.
Whilst Robbie is still with us, we are confident that he is heading in the right direction, and it wont be long until he is ready to move on and live independently.