Street Outreach Service: An Insider's Guide
Michele Jones - SOS Support Worker writes:
The outreach plus was launched in 2019, and we work in partnership with the Intervention Team, forming one team.
The SOS team has four members, Vivienne who manages both SOS and Intervention teams; Freya, the SOS/IT Assistant Manager; Caroline, the CGL Drug and Alcohol Outreach Worker, Michele, hyh (Herts Young Homeless) Dual Diagnosis Outreach Worker. Our remit is to engage with entrenched rough sleepers. The team go out on a daily basis to connect with those rough sleeping. We locate where people are sleeping and establish their needs. Our aim is to develop and maintain non-judgmental, honest and trusting relationships with them, and facilitate their accessing other support services.
The Intervention Team form part of those support services. The team has three members, Helen, the CGL Drug and Alcohol Support Worker; Lydia; hyh Dual Diagnosis Worker and Vanita, CAB Advisor. Their remit is to offer a twelve week programme of support to those struggling with issues of addiction, mental health or needing legal advice. After the initial twelve weeks they may continue support or refer service users on to other support services.
The challenges of the team include the service users’ reluctance to engage and even when they do, due to the chaotic nature of their lives, they often do not attend appointments and have lost all trust with professionals. Their behaviours can also be very challenging. But we hope by establishing trusting relationships and never giving up we will see service users develop the skills to face their difficulties and live in their own accommodation.
Each member of the team was asked this question, ‘Why do you do this?’
Vivienne, ‘I like to know that I can make a positive difference to the most entrenched rough sleeper helping them to know their worth.’
Freya ‘For me, it’s about being a voice for those who often go unheard, and being there to listen when they need to talk.’
Michele ‘I feel I am fulfilling God’s purpose for my life. Having had struggles myself, I truly believe that ‘all things work together for the good…’ This was recently summed up by a service user who said to me ‘Jesus helps you and you have helped me.’
Caroline ‘Sometimes people can become invisible to others, I like those people to know that I see them and I believe they deserve a second chance, as I have been given a second chance.’
Lydia, ‘To help vulnerable people learn new coping mechanisms that support them to move on with their lives.’
Helen ‘For me this job is about building relationships and working alongside people as they go through the various struggles in their lives. Sometimes lives change and that’s wonderful to see; often we walk alongside people as they continue to face challenges and trauma in their lives. I hope always that, on some level, the people we work with know that there’s somewhere safe they can turn to, and people who care about them no matter what’.
Vanita ‘No two days are the same, from having nowhere to live to fighting for the right to stay in the UK; or living in appalling conditions. It is a great feeling to know you have helped to change someone’s circumstances.’
As is evident our reasons for doing our jobs are wide and varied but we work with one aim to support service users to find solutions to what they perceive to be problematic in their lives and thus enable to move on with their lives.