Roundabout is here for them, throughout their journey
Thankfully, Amy knew she wanted to break the cycle of homelessness but for some of our young people, their lives quickly become embedded in the street community.
The people on the street are familiar to the young person, which means moving into their own home can be a lonely, isolating experience.
Sadly, they often find themselves back on the street, despite having their own place to live. This is when our Rapid Rehousing team can make all the difference by vigilantly seeking them out to get them back into safety, and work intensively with them to build a trusting relationship which will allow us to offer a long term solution.
“Our incredible staff work across the city in all weathers, trying to engage with these young people, sometimes just sitting on the floor with them in the rain over weeks trying to establish trust until eventually, we can encourage and support them to come off the streets and into one of our properties,” explains Roundabout Deputy CEO, Tracey Jackson.
“Here, we provide wrap-around support from our staff and other specialist services so they can start the process of healing and recovery and start to live meaningful lives in their own home.”
Often with undiagnosed and uncontained mental health conditions, many young people sadly turn to drugs and alcohol to help them to cope in the short term. They can attend intensive detox programmes, but without the will and the support to keep this up, it is easy to fall back into old habits with familiar connections on the streets.
Sadly, many of these young people have experienced rejection at a young age and are left to fend for themselves. With no-one to turn to, they’re reluctant to trust anyone, expecting to be let down again. If they don’t attend an appointment they don’t think it matters, no-one will care – but at Roundabout we do care. We talk, listen and encourage young people to take the steps which will help them to turn their lives around.
Roundabout stay with them throughout this journey: supporting them to make and attend appointments; being there to talk to at all times and helping them with basic and more complex needs. We stay with them for as long as it takes, so they don’t fall back into the spiral of street living.
These young people now have a chance to end the bad chapter in their lives and create alternative endings.
You can help us make that difference.
Next week, in the final part of our story, we’ll let you know how one of our young people, Amy, is looking forward to a brighter future.
Catch up on Amy’s story here.
A donation of just £4.80 could make a difference by paying for a bus pass for the day so a young person can attend an essential appointment such as a visit to the job centre; a doctor’s appointment; or an interview at college.
All your support makes a difference to these young people.
Thank you.
