“When we house clients, it can change their lives forever”

As Move On Workers we are allocated clients who are at risk of rough sleeping and have been placed in temporary accommodation or have been identified and accounted for on the streets by the Outreach Team.

We work alongside local councils. After clients have been verified as rough sleeping by the Outreach Team, the councils place them into temporary accommodation whilst they complete their assessments. Some clients will be placed on the local housing register. A small number will go into supported accommodation if we feel that is needed. We’ll try our hardest to support others to move into the private rented sector.

We establish their housing pathway with them and find out where they would like to live. We always explain that accommodation is a stepping stone on their journey so a room may be the first step. We have to manage expectations of clients in a trauma-informed way, as the properties they would like to move to are either not always available due to the housing crisis, or cost way over what the client can afford.

We support clients to get ID if they have none, and also make sure they are receiving the correct benefits. We also support them to see if they would like to get back into work either by taking training courses or job searching.

We work alongside the multi-disciplinary team, so if a client has identified that they need drug or alcohol support or support with their mental or physical health, we can link them in with the relevant service and attend joint visits with them.

We attend property viewings with clients and support them to apply for the rent in advance and deposits, and we can help source grants for furniture when they have accepted the property.

We then support clients with all the resettlement work – making sure clients fully understand their tenancy agreement, what they are responsible for, and what the landlord is responsible for. We also work on budgeting so they know how much money they have for food and other essentials.

It’s important to give clients the opportunity to build networks, so we link clients in with local charities and hubs where they can make friends and get support if that’s what they want. This can rebuild confidence, build friendships, and create networks of support outside of regular working hours.

Right now, the biggest challenge for people using this service is finding privately rented accommodation. Because more people rent now, the demand is huge. Landlords have increased the rent hugely and the local housing allowances don’t match these, so getting a client into private rental is extremely difficult.

When we house clients, it can change their lives forever. It gives them not only a home, but warmth, privacy, and a feeling of self-achievement.

I enjoy being involved in a client’s journey and feel it’s a privilege to support them, giving them the skills and knowledge to help them in their future aspirations and goals they want to achieve.