Supporting people through a lonely time of year
During the winter there’s less opportunity for people to go out and so the people we support can isolate themselves which can have a negative impact on their mental health. Here, Ben, a Housing First Caseworker in Westminster shares how our teams are focusing on arranging activities for the people we support to ensure they don’t feel lonely this time of the year. Housing First is a service that moves people into accommodation first and then work with them around that to help them support their tenancy. I think it’s really important that we work in this way as I think it’s easy to get someone into accommodation and then to lose them as they’ll get into somewhere and they find themselves isolated and by themselves and they don’t know what to do and they can sometimes develop depression because they’re feeling so alone. It’s not something many people would expect for someone who has just been given their own home but because they’re not used to being on their own all the time it’s difficult for them. When you’ve housed people who have been living on the streets during the winter time it’s hard to persuade them to come out in the cold and wet weather. So it’s important that we offer them something new, and we try to give them a new experience, whether that’s a museum visit or going out for a Chinese so that they feel part of society and their community. I was speaking with someone today who had been on the streets for 14 years and now they’re in the flat they can’t give it up for anything, the home is everything they have and since he’s moved into accommodation he has regressed and hidden himself away because he’s never had the opportunity to do that before. It becomes harder during the winter months to keep our clients engaged and to get them out of their houses and taking part in activities. I also recognise the fact that none of us do particularly well during the winter, it’s not a great time of year for most people so there’s definitely a change of mood. It’s making sure that I’m having daily check ins with my clients to see how they’re coping and to make sure they’re ok and what support they need. Christmas is a bit of a taboo subject as if you’ve had very traumatic experience, Christmas is not a fun loving or pleasant time for them. They see people around them that are off doing their Christmas shopping, meeting with their friends and being able to spend time with their family and loved ones and it can add to the isolation people feel. Just because they’re in their own accommodation it doesn’t get any easier for them and it can sometimes bring up period of their life where they are reflecting on the past and they realise they are alone for Christmas. It’s a real struggle and I think it is a bit of a taboo subject, as the reality of it is that it is a really tough time for a lot of people. A lot of the things that we do around Housing First, is to make sure all our clients have food hampers over Christmas and we individualise each of our clients Christmas packages as much as we can which I Think makes a real difference. Making sure that our clients are aware of the extra support that is available to them over the winter time. As a team we work for the majority of Christmas and we make sure that staff are available to support clients when they need them and they’ll receive daily check-ins and phone calls and we share the work load a lot as sometimes people do need to be off, we also take on other teams clients when they’re off on leave to make sure that everyone is still supported during the break. I do go out and buy my clients their very own mini Christmas tree and a few decorations so they have something to look forward to. I think it’s also a nice reminder that if they do start to feel lonely at Christmas and if they are on their own then they can look at the tree and know that someone does care about them and hopefully it will remind them of a happier moment. I think it’s really important that people show that they care at this time of year, however they do that. There are parts of Christmas that I don’t enjoy and I think sharing these experiences and my own feeling helps my clients to see that they’re not alone, and that not everyone is having a jolly festive time, regardless of their situation. I’ve been working with someone with very complex mental health. At the beginning the only way he would feel comfortable talking to me was if he was in his bed under a duvet. He wouldn’t come out to see me and he wasn’t looking after himself very well. Six months later, we now meet up three times a week and get a cup of coffee at a local café and he’s beginning to trust me which is amazing. He’s now on a mental health pathway within St Mungo’s and is moving to additional support, he said “I can’t believe you’ve listened to me and you’ve made it happen”. He was so happy. I think it goes to show that there isn’t a perfect scenario for people experiencing homelessness and your options are always limited when you’re in the system, but being able to find him a space that’s more calming environment and less chaotic is really great for me. To see the growth in someone is the reason why I do this job. Find out more about our Housing First service here.
Experiencing homelessness at Christmas
Nathaniel is a former client and a member of our Client Involvement Working Group. Here, he shares his experiences of homelessness at Christmas and the message he wants people to know. I was adopted from birth and grew up with my family in Bounds Green, North London. I used to spend Christmas at home and celebrate with my mother and our extended family but since I became homeless I’m on my own. I became homeless after I started to experience voices in my head which was mentally and physically debilitating. I was in dire straits and my mum didn’t understand what was happening and couldn’t look after me. I spent my first Christmas in supported accommodation and it was very lonely. We didn’t have any festivities and, at the time, I was experiencing negative voices which also caused me pain and physical manifestations. It really affected my mental health and I was physically and mentally debilitated. I couldn’t do anything so I spend Christmas day alone in bed drinking soup, trying to fight my way out of something that was really dark and difficult to get out of. It was a really tough time. Since then I’ve taken part in a lot of client involvement projects with St Mungo’s and I volunteered at the StreetLink service. At StreetLink they were really supportive and gave me my role responsibilities in stages, to make sure I had jobs that I felt comfortable in doing. My first role was inputting information into the computer and then, as my confidence grew, I worked up to taking phone calls and assisting people in that way. I felt happy, content and valued for the work I was doing and I felt that I was part of the team. I also joined the Outside In network and started to get involved in some client involvement projects. The work I’ve been doing has definitely been life changing for me. Being able to do things and support with activities has definitely helped me keep my mind free and I’ve been able to talk to other people who have experienced homelessness and hear their stories which has been really educational. This Christmas I would like people to open their hearts and minds and be able to connect to others and to the issues and plights of people around them. Homelessness is something that is so common that we don’t really see it anymore. Homelessness has been around since recorded history and I want to encourage people to educate themselves about homelessness and to open up the dialog that will bring about action, understanding, and education and will hopefully inspire people to change the systems and policies in place. Homelessness is something that together, in unity with organisations, the public and policy makers we need to eradicate.
Keeping us safer: support for women’s homelessness
Today, 10 December, marks Human Rights Day and brings to a close the 16 days of action against gender-based violence. To mark the day we share how we’re supporting our colleagues, and other staff within the homelessness and women’s sector, to provide the best support for females who are also survivors of domestic abuse and violence. Earlier this year, in partnership with Standing Together, we created our Keeping us Safer guidance. This guidance aims to provide staff within the homelessness and women’s sector with the skills and confidence to be able to support female clients who are also survivors of domestic abuse. The guidance was created in collaboration with 16 women from our services who have experienced homelessness, abuse and violence. As part of the project the women were asked to share what strategies they used to keep themselves safe. One service user explained what she did when she felt unsafe, she said; “if I don’t feel safe, for example at night on the streets, I go to McDonald’s and eat my dinner very late, around 11pm or 12am. There you can stay inside and be warm and you’re okay.” Another client shared what it was like visiting a night shelter which had majority male occupancy, “(Night shelters are) better than the street but I could feel the look of the men on me … I could feel the sexual pressure and I was like, ‘Okay, I have to make a decent decision. I’ll stay here for two hours and then go.’” Some of the other strategies shared included sleeping in hidden locations or public places, constantly keeping on the move, and dressing as a male to avoid harm. Our Keeping us Safer guidance aims to build a strong foundation from which professionals can better support women. The guide encourages you to think about and integrate different approaches which support women’s needs and help to build supportive relationships. The guidance also includes examples of challenges professionals face when supporting women; barriers you may come across within your service; ways to look after your own wellbeing when working with someone with trauma; and suggestions on how to overcome these barriers to best support your female client and create a safe and secure environment. Jillian Thursby, Regional Head and Women and Domestic Abuse Lead, worked on the guidance and said; “We know that women experience homelessness differently from men and it’s our job to improve our support offer to fit their needs. The Keeping us Safer guidance has taken the perspectives of women experiencing homelessness, violence, and abuse and created an approach which encourages staff to consider these experiences in order to improve the support offered. The guidance was piloted in three St Mungo’s Services – an outreach team, mixed gender hostel, and women’s only hostel – and staff fed back that the guidance gave them new ways to discuss violence and safety with both clients and partner agencies.” “I am grateful also to St Mungo’s… they never give up. They are always coming to see me and check if I’m okay which is keeping me in contact with my reality, otherwise I would be lost.” – Service user Ultimately, we hope this approach will contribute to changing attitudes and improve support for women in all their diversity, whether they are rough sleeping, hidden homeless, or living in homelessness support services.
Having difficult conversations about grief and loss
This National Grief Awareness Week, Catherine our Bereavement Support Coordinator explains her role in helping our staff and the people we support through our Bereavement Support Service. Bereavement is cited in the top 10 reasons that contribute to homelessness. This is why it’s so important to be with the people we support as they process their loss as well as ensure that staff are properly equipped to help them with all the difficult emotions that grief can bring up. Our Bereavement Support Service is available across all St Mungo’s services and aims to do just that – provide a range of bereavement support to those in services and the staff supporting them. While each person’s story is unique, there can be factors that can contribute to why people find themselves facing homelessness. Sometimes this is having an unstable environment in childhood or traumatic life experiences such as losing loved ones. In my role as Bereavement Care Coordinator, I offer emotional support to people in St Mungo’s services, with the aim to offer a calm presence in a non-judgemental space for them to discuss their loss and feelings, either face to face or over the phone. People who experience homelessness can face chronic health problems and, the sad reality is that without support, people on the streets face a much shorter life expectancy. This is why my role equally focuses on supporting staff members who work in our services and closely with people who are experiencing homelessness to help them process their feelings of loss if someone they have been supporting passes away. Whether the individual has passed away under tragic circumstances or due to prolonged ill health, staff can often be caught between the need to remain professional but being personally impact by the person’s death. It’s important to offer reassurance and promote the need for self-care and space for them to reflect about what has happened – to try and normalise the grieving process. But this can be hard and there is often an incredible sadness of feeling like a life has been cut short. Cruelly in most cases, staff will have seen the people we support start to make changes, improve drinking habits and get onto a path of recovery but this can’t always be maintained. With time we work with staff about the need to pre-empt the potential outcome of individuals passing away in their services – our Palliative Care Service is crucial in this. But despite coming into their jobs to make a difference and to bring hope in ending homelessness, staff do often say they still need to mentally prepare themselves for seeing people they interact with every day approaching the end of life. Nevertheless, I am always struck by the bond that staff have with the people they support and the ‘family’ type feeling they have for each other. Find out more about National Grief Awareness Week run by the Good Grief Trust here.
Volunteering to support people with their mental health
We take a holistic approach to mental and physical health, addressing these issues alongside each other. Volunteers play a crucial role in helping us to achieve this. Here, Amie shares her experiences of volunteering to support people who’ve experienced homelessness with their mental health. My journey with St Mungo’s began in September 2019, I had graduated from University and knew that I wanted to get into the charity sector. I applied for the role of a Mental Health Volunteer at St Mungo’s via their website which I was successful for. I then went through the training with the St Mungo’s Volunteer Services staff. My first role with St Mungo’s was doing the ‘Women’s Morning’ with a mental health service in Bristol which I really enjoyed. During lockdown the ‘Women’s Morning’ stopped due to Covid-19 and I was put on furlough from my day job. I then got an email from the Volunteer Services about the emergency hotels and from there I started my second volunteering role as an Emergency Hotel Volunteer which was a unique service to be a part of. I managed to network with a whole range of staff members as the team at the hotel was made up of different services from around the Bristol hub. I then went through the locum application whilst volunteering and I picked up a locum shift at a Women’s Services. I had only been there for a month, but I ended up staying there for a year because I loved it so much! I loved trying something new and challenging. I was there for about a year, and then a vacancy came up for the place I’m at now which is a mixed hostel. The role involves more incident and crisis management which I’m also really enjoying. At my current role, we’re getting more volunteers into the services which means I’m going to be a supervisor, so I’ve come full circle in such a short space of time! Inspiration for why I got involved in volunteering I was inspired to start volunteering when I was in my final year of university, I had a bad mental health crisis. This crisis made me realise that I wanted to help and support those who have gone through similar mental health issues. My role as a Mental Health Volunteer at St Mungo’s made me re-evaluate everything of what’s important in life. St Mungo’s appealed a lot because there’s great structure for volunteers and they have great training for volunteers. They even paid for me to be a mental health first aider whilst I was a volunteer. I also chose St Mungo’s because of their locum scheme which I think is a great way to inspire volunteers to continue their career into the homeless sector. The volunteer team really make you feel valued as a volunteer. The rewards and challenges of volunteering the impact it can have: It was quite challenging when I first started in the ‘Women’s Morning’ because I had never worked with people who’ve experienced homelessness before so it was a massive learning curb. At the beginning communication with the people we were supporting was tough and there were some difficult situations. But once you’ve experienced those situations more and more, you feel much more confident. And it was very rewarding, I got to go and do something that I truly enjoyed every day. Volunteers play such a crucial role in helping St Mungo’s staff members with support areas such an art therapy, gardening and cooking as the charity can’t have many specialised staff full time for these activities. The volunteers are integral to the people St Mungo’s support and their progression in moving away from the streets as full time staff might not have time to do certain activities and having volunteers come up with ideas for the sessions and planning these sessions is something that’s valuable. A moment that still stands out whilst volunteering at St Mungo’s was when I was at the women’s services. I drove someone who had been staying at the service over to their new flat and helped them set up their belongings and home. Seeing them turn their whole life around I’d supported them every step of the way was an emotional but rewarding experience! Find out more about current volunteering vacancies here.
What Black History Month means to me
This month, as we continue to celebrate Black History Month (BHM), Esther from our Learning and Development team shares what Black history means to her, the importance of diversity and how her mother supported her community despite the odds. Blackness, history and tomorrow Someone recently asked me what Black History Month means to me and I struggled to answer this because one month out of twelve isn’t enough to celebrate oneself, and others. Yes, Black History Month can lead to a glance back at people who having done great things in the world, have impacted another generation. However, we should always use October (in the UK) and February (in the USA and Canada), to turn up the volume of our blackness and celebrate our history. My roots are deeper than the skin I wear to work, to church or to school. This BHM, I celebrate what makes me different and how I was created in God’s image. Darwin, in his escapist mentality, gave the world an image of a monkey to depict evolution. Unfortunately, there have been many occasions when that image has been used as a distorted representation of black people, who apparently refused to move from all fours to the erect posture of hunter-gatherer. That is why positive representation of black people from all walks of life, not only during this month but throughout the year, is very important. Some people who wish to deny the accurate history of Black people, run to the theory of confusion by using negative labels and descriptors to break our spirit. However, BHM continues to affirm that we have a stake on earth— look at the size of Africa before and after earth-splitting environmental changes. Diversity provides the world with access to grow into its full potential in terms of commerce and freedoms that other species lack. For example, a lion has no need to prove its origins or intelligence to the tiger. They both belong to the “Big Cat” family. I strongly believe that the world (metaphorically) still has one tree which gives birth to its kind. But there is potential for it to yield a progressed kind, where a guava tree produces passion, apples and mangos because diversity has bridged the historical, cancerous division between the branches. My mother: an example of unity and perseverance This month I celebrate my mother Rachel, a Black-African woman, who only studied up to year three of primary school. Due to colonialism, she was separated from her parents at fifteen, to work the land in the Rift Valley while they returned home to Murang’a, near Nairobi, Kenya. She went through an extremely difficult time but continued to work hard to raise us and to put my brothers and I through school. For years, she has supported her community so others could stand too. And although we complain about her excessive giving, at 85, she has shown us how historical wrongs turned on their head can expel divisions between people.
Housing First as part of the pandemic response
Over the last year our Housing First service in Brighton has grown rapidly as part of the response to the pandemic. Last summer the service was supporting 22 people and by the end of this year this will increase to 60. We are currently helping 50 people with an imminent five offers made and the final five expected to be completed in October. Here, Jonathan* speaks about his experience of this ground breaking initiative that’s fast becoming our flagship service in Brighton. My dad died on my 21st birthday and it hit me hard. I moved from County Durham to Brighton to get away from everything. I came with a friend and I remember we partied hard and I woke up on the Green opposite Glenwood Lodge by myself. My friend went home without me and I stayed. That was 26 years ago. During that time I had been in a cycle of rough sleeping and time spent in prison. I had survived by shoplifting and doing anything I needed to get through each day. I quickly became addicted to heroin and crack cocaine. Although outreach teams tried to help me over the years, all I was interested in was getting my next fix. To me, I had a sleeping bag and a tent so I was happy as long as I could score. I didn’t think I needed their help. I have seen some horrible things and it was hard. I have seen people at their worst on nights out thinking it’s funny to urinate on you while you are sleeping, or chuck beer cans at you and spit on you. In 2017 my groin exploded and I went to A&E – this was a turning point for me as they encouraged me to accept help and face my addictions. I was 6.5 stone and I’m 5ft 8” so I was in a bad way. I ended up in prison again though. But once I was released, I met Sophie from St Mungo’s Housing First team and things began to change. On release I was placed in a hotel for two weeks and then offered a one bed flat through Housing First. I thought it was a joke, I didn’t trust it and expected to be back on the streets after a few days. I have been here 7 months now. At first I couldn’t get used to being on my own and having my own bed with the choice to come and go as I wanted. My first night I was up and down, I didn’t feel I wanted to be there, I wanted to go back onto the streets. I can’t explain it, I had lived so long on the streets and in prison I couldn’t get my head around having my own space. It’s all thanks to Sophie from Housing First and Emily (CGL Adult Drug & Alcohol Service). They have helped me get a grant so I have everything I need in my flat, a washing machine, furniture and TV. I feel ecstatic now. I honestly didn’t think I’d last it out. I didn’t think I would be able to pay my bills but I do. Sophie supports me through this and keeps me on track if I need her help. I feel supported but I also feel independent. My hopes for the future are to keep hold of my flat, to keep my two voluntary jobs going, and to remain substance free. Staying clean is the hardest part – I have been off the crack and heroin for 4.5 years and off methadone for one year now. I feel like I have woken up. I am part of a community and I chat to my neighbours every day. I love getting up early and catching the bus to work. I enjoy cooking roasts and baking cakes. One of my favourite things is to sit in the communal garden and share my cakes with the seagulls. Find out more about Housing First service here.
The Cotswold Way challenge
Sarah took part in the Cotswold Way Challenge as part of #TeamMungos, in her own words she tells us her experience of the event. Why this event? Where did you find it? I found this event via the St Mungo’s Facebook page. I did not realised how big the Cotswolds are, but to my surprise it goes all the way to Bath as well. This was your idea – how did you get people to join in the challenge? I made a presentation in our fortnightly Outside In group, including options of how many km to do (25km, 50km or 100km). Also, because it was cancelled last year due to Covid-19, I included the details they had on the website about how they would make the event Covid-19 secure, to give those taking part confidence. What made you do it? I miss being outside. Things such as running, boxing and walking with friends have really helped me with my mental health as a way of coping with anxiety and frustration. In the past year there has been a lot of change, for example our Outside In meetings moving to Zoom. It was nice at first trying out this new technology – despite arguing with my girlfriend (Sally) over internet connection! I can only imagine what it like for school kids doing exams from lower-income backgrounds. Also, for those who are homeless struggling to get a roof over their head and food, never mind a computer and decent internet. Anyway, this was a way I could now finally see people’s legs! I do like a challenge and within Outside In, a lot of people tend to go out walking and enjoy adventures. I have done something like this when I did the Bristol half marathon and though it was hard work, I loved the experiences and was ready for my next challenge after being stuck inside for a long time . Before the event – how did you prepare? I was able to use the tips I picked up from training for the half marathon. I also looked up YouTube videos on hiking and followed their recommendations – walking boots, snack, and exercises. I followed the ultra challenge Facebook group and the guide they have on the website. Also, when we were waiting for the bus to the challenge we did some stretching to prepare our bodies for the walk, taking it in turns to choose what exercise we should do next. The beginning When we got to that start line it felt unreal, I couldn’t believe that we were doing this. Our temperature was taken at the start and we got handed an envelope that had our name, tracking chip and trek route with numbers on the back for emergencies. Whilst pinning my number to my backpack, the nerves were getting to me before we set off. I started to feel stressed but after being given sweets for the walk and seeing how everyone was excited, it helped calm me down. How was the challenge? There was a time where I was very present and got lost in the moment taking in everything and for once not over thinking which I tend to do. There were some parts where it was very steep and I struggled, but the walking sticks helped me a lot. The staff and other walkers were very friendly and the locals even offered to fill up our water bottles as well! We had banana bread made for us by one of the volunteers at Outside In, (who sadly couldn’t make it) which was such a nice treat along the way. What support did you get? I used the active app on my phone and followed the ultra challenge Facebook group and the guide they have on the website. On there, I was able to ask for tips and look how other people were preparing, as well giving me more confidence for the walk. I also used the Strava app – for training, the main walk and, of course, for the likes. I did need to go to the Wellbeing tent at the halfway point (12km) where they were friendly and were able to give me some tampons as I did not have any on me. This helped me feel more comfortable as although I had my tablets on me I was starting to feel uncomfortable and sickly and having that support helped a lot! There was plenty of food and drinks available for us to give us energy for our walk and a chance to sit down and talk to others to find out who they were walking for and why. The marshals were supportive as well. They were with us every step of the way, encouraging us and congratulating us as the end as well. I got really good advice from one of them who suggested I should take my walking boots off on breaks to avoiding getting blisters. Was it Covid-19 safe? Most definitely! Before the event they were very clear with what we should do at stops which ensured the safety of our team. We filled out a Covid-19 questionnaire beforehand and we all had to be tested before as well. They reminded us to wear masks and had more spread out start times so we were not all packed together. Would you do it again? Yes! Although I haven’t stopped napping since, it was a really good team building experience and with the same support from the team I would definitely do this again! Inspired by Sarah’s experience? Want to take on a challenge as part of #TeamMungo’s? Check out our events.
Lived experience of dual diagnosis
David, shares his experience of homelessness as well as overcoming alcohol abuse and mental health struggles. I’ve had depression, anxiety and OCD intrusive thoughts since I was around 9 years old. It was pretty scary at that age, as I had no idea of what was going on. I remember feeling apart or different from everyone else, and had a feeling that something was just ‘not right’. On the outside I was quite a happy outgoing friendly kid, but on the inside I was very unhappy and lonely. I first discovered alcohol at around the same age 9-10. I vividly remember the effect of alcohol leaving me calm and relaxed, and feeling ‘normal’, whatever normal means? It was a very addictive feeling. The only problem was once the alcohol wore off, the mental health problems came back. I didn’t realise it then, but I had learnt to self-medicate. I did try to reach out to my family and GP in my late teens and early twenties, but they didn’t understand what was going on. That left me feeling ashamed, stigmatised and misunderstood for many years. I remember telling myself ‘I’ll just get on with it myself ‘and ‘drink my way through it’. I was alcohol dependent by the time I was around 23. I was now caught in a trap, I couldn’t stop drinking because I would get withdrawals, and was also afraid to stop due to being mentally unwell. I continued to drink daily for many years, and ended up park drinking and street drinking. I developed alcoholic hepatitis which was really painful and was told by Doctors I had a year to live. But I was more afraid of stopping drinking than dying. I have no idea why I stopped drinking, but looking back it was a combination of a lot of factors. The main one being able to talk to someone in MH services openly about my MH issues without feeling judged for the first time. This was a very freeing experience. Stopping drinking was really hard, as my MH problems worsened instantly without the alcohol. I can’t explain how hard it was to go through it, especially as I knew one drink would take it all away. But I didn’t drink and threw myself straight into recovery. I started taking medication for my MH problems, I engaged with local MH services, had therapy, attend fellowship meetings, went back into education and volunteered at various local services. It hasn’t been easy in recovery, I was made homeless early on and that was a pretty hard time. I have SHP to thank for helping to rehouse me. I now believe I’ve come full circle working for St Mungo’s, and feel privileged to be able to help those who going through the same issues I once had. I still have to look after my mental health, but I’m doing well. Recovery has been a life changing experience it’s been incredible, and I haven’t a drink or drug now for over 12 ½ years.
It’s all about options – How St Mungo’s supports European citizens experiencing homelessness
As the deadline for applications for the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) has now passed, St Mungo’s Head of Migrant and Advice services Sylvia Tijmstra discusses how things have changed for our clients over the past five years. Five years ago, on 24 June 2016, millions of European citizens like myself woke up to the news that the UK had voted to leave the European Union. After the initial shock, my mind quickly turned to the practical. What did this mean for us? As someone with a Dutch passport, living with another Dutch national, would we still be allowed to live and work in this country? Would our three young children be forced to leave the country they have called home all their lives? A quick Google search revealed our family had options. My partner and I had been in the country for 13 years by that point and had ‘exercised our treaty rights’ throughout. On top of that two of our three children turned out to already be British citizens even though we had not previously realised this. I counted my blessings that day, for there are few things more precious in life than options – options to remain in post-Brexit Britain, options to return to the Netherlands and options to start a new adventure in another European country altogether. Through my work as the Head of Migrant and Advice services at St Mungo’s, I am, however, acutely aware that not everyone is as blessed with options. Routes Home Every year, thousands of EU citizens end up sleeping rough in London alone. Quite often this happens because, while they have a right to live and work in the UK when life throws them a curveball, they have very limited access to the benefits and housing support they need at that time. One of the services I oversee is the Routes Home service. This is funded by the Greater London Authority (GLA) and was specifically commissioned in 2016 to support non-UK nationals in this situation to identify viable routes off the streets, either in the UK or abroad. While we could often find solutions in the UK for non-EU nationals through immigration advice routes, the options for EU nationals were often much more limited in those early days. With an established right to live and work in the UK, but limited opportunity to gain full access to the benefits they needed to stabilise their life, for many the only way to resolve their homelessness was to return to their country of nationality. As a result our team members poured their heart and soul into finding the best solution possible for our clients in their country of nationality. For example, we developed an innovative partnership with MONAR, a detox and rehab organisation in Poland. This partnership gave any Polish nationals sleeping rough in London access to the often life-saving treatment they were unable to access in the UK. The introduction of the EU Settlement Scheme following the Brexit vote drastically changed the options for EU citizens to resolve their homelessness. With its emphasis on residency, it offered those who had made the UK their home for five years or more the same support that had been available to many of us all along. This was a truly transformational moment for our Routes Home service and our clients. I will always remember the struggle to gain access to the various test phases of the EU settlement scheme for our clients in 2018 and then the relief when the scheme was finally opened fully on 30 March 2019. To make the most of this opportunity, St Mungo’s registered with OISC, the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner, to provide immigration advice in relation to the EU Settlement Scheme and teamed up with a range of migrant sector partners to give those who needed it access to higher level advice. For many, this meant that for the first time in a long time they had options – they could apply for settled status in the UK and resolve their homelessness in this country or they could choose to return to their country of nationality and rebuild their lives there. As a result, many clients who would normally choose to return to their country of nationality instead chose to make the UK their permanent home. Left in Limbo Once the novelty of new options started to wear off, the reality of Brexit for those who had arrived more recently, or could not evidence their full residency in the UK, began to hit home. Almost from the day the scheme launched there has been debate and legal challenges around the benefit entitlement of those with pre-settled status. More than two years on, we are still waiting for the Supreme Court to make a decision on this matter. In the meantime, many of our clients are left in limbo – unable to access the support they needed to resolve their rough sleeping in the UK and unsure how leaving the country now would affect their ability to return at a later date. Options have long been limited for this group, but at least prior to Brexit they were clear. Now people are asked to weigh up possibilities and many are choosing to remain in often dangerous situations, holding out for a solution in the UK that may never come. COVID-19 In a strange way the coronavirus pandemic offered some respite for this group. Some chose to return to the safety of home, but many others were offered accommodation as part of the ‘Everyone In’ response to Covid-19. This gave us an opportunity to support unprecedented numbers of people to explore their options to leave homelessness behind for good from a place of safety. For many, Plan A was to apply for pre-settled status and explore options to find a job in the UK. In London, the Covid pandemic gave us the opportunity to work with the GLA and amazing organisations like Radical Recruit to see if
