Bradley (real name not used) has been sleeping on the streets on and off for years. When we first met Bradley, he was struggling with several drug dependencies and depression. He was restricted from emergency accommodation, as well as several other services, due to his behaviour which was deemed high risk. No-one was working with him.
We began meeting Bradley regularly and offering emotional support, someone he could talk to and wouldn’t judge him. We talked to Bradley about what he would like support with, and when he said his depression, we arranged doctors’ appointments to get support for his mental health. Working on his drug dependencies was also a priority for Bradley, and we arranged for him to access a service and receive medication to help tackle his dependencies.
We regularly bought Bradley food parcels and made sure he had warm clothing, especially when it was rainy and cold.
Bradley was claiming universal credit, but his bank account had been closed. We helped Bradley open up a new bank account and redirect his universal credit payments to his new account. We’ve begun talking to Bradley about money management and budgeting.
Bradley is still homeless but we are supporting Bradley to look at different options for housing. We will continue to support Bradley on his journey.