Jane was 21 and living in temporary accommodation when she approached DHYP for support.
Jane’s situation
Jane was:
- Faced with nowhere to live and worried about where to go
- Experiencing mental ill health, for which she was on medication
- Self-harming
- Unemployed
- In debt to a former landlord
- Lonely and isolated, with very low confidence and self-esteem
What we did:
- We talked with Jane to discuss the areas she needed support with and jointly agreed a support plan with her
- We suggested that living in supported lodgings would be the best short-term housing solution and arranged a place for her
- We helped Jane switch to a more local GP in order to support her recovery
- We arranged a volunteering opportunity to help her gain experience of the workplace and develop skills and confidence
- We helped Jane produce a CV and apply for employment
Outcomes
- Jane moved into supported lodgings where she was much happier
- She felt far less isolated, more confident and more optimistic about her future
- She reduced her medication and felt much healthier
- She stopped self harming
- Through her volunteering with DHYP, Jane obtained a qualification in food hygiene and developed a range of workplace skills
- She obtained paid employment
- She paid off her former landlord debt and learned how to budget and successfully manage her money
- After 18 months, Jane made the transition to independent living
Wider benefits
- As Jane was working, she was much less reliant on welfare benefits
- Jane had less call on the health and social care services in Doncaster
- Jane has continued to volunteer for DHYP, using her own experience to support other vulnerable young people in Doncaster, so helping reduce the call they themselves make on local services
