Shining a light on women’s homelessness
Shining a light on women’s homelessness This month, we’ve launched Visible Women. A new campaign which aims shine a light on women’s homelessness, and help women access the support they need. Kate, Women’s Recovery Coordinator “I lead Safe Space – a project that looks at new ways to help some of the most vulnerable women in our services. Specifically, women experiencing multiple disadvantage including sexual exploitation, violence and abuse.” “We want to build trust, and remove barriers to accessing talking therapy. By bringing specialised support directly to them.” “We’ve found that these women have a wide range of support needs, but they do share two key things. An experience of trauma and a lack of trust in services.” “Almost all of the women we’re working with would otherwise struggle to access this kind of help. Because of the complex trauma they have experienced, attending appointments and structured sessions is a barrier. “Many of the women we work with are drug and alcohol dependent and this too can exclude them from traditional services.” Maria, Psychotherapist “The service is unique because it draws on all the knowledge we’ve gained through the Safe Space project, and there are no formal referrals or assessments. “I’ll start by going to a hostel and introducing myself. I let the women know that I’ll be there on certain days and times. If they’re interested, they can choose whether they want to do drop-ins, or have a set appointment. Flexibility is really important. “If someone doesn’t feel comfortable talking at the hostel, we’ll go out. It’s all about giving back choice and control. They can take their time to get to know me before digging deeper into things.” “Psychotherapy can look very different for everyone, it’s very client led. Most clients will tell me what their goals are. It might be moving out, or having their own place. Then we’ll start working on goals that are closer, or thinking about what actions they need to take to get there.” “Another big part of what we do is networking with other services and empowering women to advocate for themselves. To ask for what they need. “We are often present during meetings with other services or staff, and the client will speak for themselves.” “When we first started the project, we thought that we would have to really work hard to get women to get involved. But the appetite for this is massive. We’ve got lots of ambitious ideas for the future and we want to reach as many women as possible.” Kate Meet Sophia “I used to sleep behind the police station in Hounslow to keep safe. During the day, I sat on the tube, riding back and forth from Cockfosters to Heathrow. “As a woman, you get a lot of people offering you money for sexual favours. Some men out there, they’ll see a vulnerable woman and use that to their advantage. I’ve seen it happen to people and it’s not nice.” “But St Mungo’s supported me. They got me some clothes, they got me some food and they said ‘you’re safe now.” Read Sophia’s full story here. Find out more about women’s homelessness on our Visible Women page.
Grange Road service gets a glow up
We’ve been commissioned by City of London to provide a high needs support service in the borough of Southwark, and we’re pleased to announce that doors to our Grange Road service opened just a few months ago. But it’s more than just a lick of paint – the space has been redesigned with the principles of Psychologically Informed Environments (PIE) in mind. This means that the environment takes into account people’s previous experiences, and how these can impact their future recovery and development. By providing a safe, inclusive and therapeutic space, we are able to support clients in addressing traumatic experiences they might have had. Inside our Grange Road service Service Development Manager, Jack, explains: “We’re going to be supporting a very diverse, complex group of clients at this service. They might have experienced severe trauma, substance and alcohol use, mental health issues, or prison. To give them the best chance, it’s really important that we get them into an environment like this. “The hostel consists of a number of open plan spaces, which you don’t always get at a standard hostel. “I’ve previously managed hostels where the rooms are quite small. And if clients are coming out of prison, or another institution, it can be a trigger for them. “Our rooms are spacious and bright, and we’ve tried to offer as many self-contained rooms as possible, with their own desks, kitchenettes and private bathrooms. “To support the 29 clients who are living [at Grange Road], we have a large staff team and robust staffing structure in place. This consists of three staff members being on shift at any time. Day or night, seven days a week. This is to ensure that we are able to provide high levels of support and increase positive interactions with clients. We also have an in house psychologist who attends once a week.” “We even have a medical room, where nurses and GP’s will be able to hold clinics. It can be hard enough to get a doctor’s appointment, let alone when you’re experiencing homelessness. So we’re making that process easier by bringing it all in house.” Jack, Service Development Manager at Grange Road Take a tour around Grange Road Clients are greeted by an open plan reception area, with no barriers between them and staff. The lounge is full of natural light. There is plenty of space to relax, socialise or take part in activities. Colours have been carefully chosen to inspire a sense of calm and optimism. Previous Next
Space to breathe
We have found that 69% of our clients have a mental health problem that hinders their recovery from homelessness, or causes them distress. Very often, these people need bespoke services, and a dedicated space to recover. We run dedicated mental health services, to give people who need extra support the best chance of recovery. One of our South London services includes 12 self-contained flats for adults with complex and long term mental health needs. People often stay here after spending some time in hospital, when conventional supported housing can’t meet their needs. Complete with a large communal living area and garden, our staff are there to provide any support that clients want or need. From practical daily living skills, to employment and education. As well as recreational activities like gardening, jewellery making, and even karaoke! Sheila and Channan share their experiences of living here. “We aim to make this a very therapeutic place to be, with a focus on providing highly personalised support. We see a really low level of hospital admissions, which is a huge leap forward for some clients and something to be celebrated. We often get compliments from clients and their families about how well they are doing here.” Gala, service manager “I deal with things a lot better” – Sheila “Since moving here, I deal with things a lot better than I did. I went through a long period of time where I was in the hospital frequently. “But now, I feel much better. It’s been a really long time since I was last admitted. And I think a huge amount of that is due to the staff here. I get along well with them all and I feel they’re really devoted to their jobs. “The staff can give you a lot of input when you need it. And then when you’re well you don’t need it so much, they’ll step back a bit. You’ll still get to see them throughout the day, but they won’t intrude on your privacy. “I’ve loved being here and I’m hoping to move on soon. But it’s hard because what I need is not very common. Although my mental health improving, I’m always going to need help for my physical health. St Mungo’s are helping me look for somewhere suitable.” “It’s settled my mind” – Channan “Before I arrived, I’d been in the psych ward for about five months. I even had to spend my 21st and Christmas there! I had been waiting for the right accommodation, but finally, I was able to move in. “There were a lot of activities for us to do too. Like gardening, painting and art, jewellery making, walking club, and even karaoke. The activities coordinators were quite helpful with finding out what we wanted to do and getting us engaged. “They supported me with planning my weeks every week, because that was one of the things I struggled with and was a trigger for me. “I have a lot of health issues as well. So when I had appointments or had to go in for surgery they’d support me to go. “I was able to get a job at a care home for people with dementia. And if I do need support, I’m better at speaking to someone and getting help instead of going down a risky road. “It’s also helped me to get used to spending time alone. I knew the staff were always there to support me, but having my own flat helped me to have that independence and love my own company. “I’ve rebuilt my relationship with my mum, who I’ve moved back in with. And I’m excited to have found out I’m pregnant, and that I’ll have mum’s support to raise my baby.” “I’m thankful for St Mungo’s and for this place, because without it I wouldn’t be where I am today. The last two years could have gone very differently. They’ve really helped me to get back on track.” Channan
