Thomas’s Story
Thomas’s journey highlights the challenges faced by young people leaving care when trauma, unstable housing, and unmet support needs collide. Referred to hyh during a period of crisis, he was navigating the lasting impact of childhood trauma, unpredictable moods, substance use, and a breakdown in family relationships that left him without a safe place to stay. Despite setbacks, strained relationships with services, and periods of rough sleeping, coordinated support eventually helped Thomas access stable accommodation.
Finding Safety and Understanding
Thomas was referred to hyh by his leaving care PA, to request support for his complex housing situation. Thomas had a traumatic childhood and left care carrying a mix of painful memories and unhelpful labels. Thomas also had special educational needs, his mood often rose and fell sharply, and he also struggled with substance use. He struggled to open up to professionals and had a distrust in the systems and services available to support him.
Thomas had left care and went to stay with family. His relationship with family broke down and Thomas no longer had a safe place to stay. His erratic behavior added to his worries and had previously impacted on his housing. When his family asked him to leave, hyh reached out to the local housing authority to request emergency accommodation. Instead of accessing the emergency accommodation, Thomas made the decision to stay with some friends. He moved around constantly as numerous friendships broke down, Thomas did not have a safe and consistent place to stay.
Support, Setbacks and Honest Conversations
Thomas was supported with looking for accommodation options, and was supported to provide evidence of his vulnerabilities to the Local Housing Authority. He was offered temporary accommodation, which he accepted. Due to the accommodation that Thomas was given, frustrations emerged, as he lacked cooking facilities and struggled with the environment he was living in.
While supporting him throughout his stay in temporary accommodation, Thomas was supported to update his benefits with his current housing situation. It became clear that he was receiving the incorrect benefits to cover his rent. To resolve this, changes were made, and he was now receiving less money. Thomas felt anxious and angry about having less money and confused as to why this was the case. The relationship between him and his worker became strained. His fear, frustration and sense of being judged showed up in verbal aggression, and he chose to stop receiving direct support from hyh.
Over the next few weeks Thomas breached his license agreement with the temporary accommodation numerous times. Thomas was eventually evicted and sadly he began sleeping rough.
Thomas’ Outreach worker continued to work in the background, advocating for Thomas’s housing situation. They worked jointly with the leaving-care PA and the Local Housing Authority, holding several meetings. After careful checks, the council accepted main duty. This meant Thomas could finally start bidding for his own home. This was great news for Thomas.
A Space of His Own
Working with Thomas could be challenging. However, all Thomas has ever wanted was his own space, so he can live in a secure environment. He is now moving into his own permanent accommodation, where hyh will support him with setting up bills, budgeting and managing his tenancy. With security around him, he has a real chance to build the life he’s hoped for.
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