Jack's Story
Jack* was a 17 year old male who had been sofa surfing for 8 months after a family breakdown. He was referred to the Night Shelter by Child Services.
At the Night Shelter, Jack took part in an initial assessment. It became clear that the areas in which Jack needed support were finding accommodation, opening a claim for Universal Credit, and looking into options around education and training.
A referral was submitted for the Foyer, which offers accommodation for young people who have been affected by homelessness; in the meantime, Jack was encouraged to submit a claim for Universal Credit. Jack had struggled to open a bank account in the past as he had limited ID, but he was given support when attending his Credit Union appointment, and was then able to open an account with a high street bank.
The importance of education was explained to Jack, and he discussed accessing New Directions for career advice.
While staying at the Night Shelter, Jack also visited the Platform 5 drop in centre during the day. He took part in a number of activities, including playing for the football team and attending the gym. Jack also took part in a cookery session, and gained an AQA in Italian food.
Due to circumstances out of Jack’s control, his housing appointments were delayed. During this time, his 9 nights at the Night Shelter were due to end. However, due to his close links with Breathing Space, he was offered space in the respite bed at the Witton Project until his Foyer interview. At his Foyer interview, Jack was given additional support by LEAP, and this resulted in him being offered a place.
Jack has now moved into the Foyer, and has been able to access support around Universal Credit and his bank account. Through working closely with Nightsafe and a social worker, Jack now has somewhere safe to stay, and has support moving forward.
If you need help finding accommodation, career advice or support with applying for Universal Credit like Jack did, get in touch with us at http://www.breathingspacelancs.org.uk
