Meet ‘J’ and read how Positive Pathways have helped changed their life.

Trigger warning:

Some of the contents here may be upsetting to some people.Contents include contains homelessness, depression, mental-health issues, loss of loved ones, and other themes of a negative nature. Please be advised to go no further if you feel you will be affected if you where to do so.

Meet ‘J’

J male, presented at the Job Centre with very little trust of Positive Pathways believing it to be part of the Job Centre and understanding this was another hoop to Jump through. After explaining we are an independent charity,(pending at the time), who did not have any connection to the DWP, or any other government body for that matter, or any church or religious body, and we here to support him because it was the right thing to do, J did open up.

He told us of his mental health issues. He told us he was homeless and live with a relative on his sofa. He said he did not have any form of Identification and was not able get on a housing list because of this. The following meeting, we took J to a café in a local supermarket, to understand more about him and the issues he was facing. J was picked up from his home and it seemed that he lives in a one-bedroom bungalow.

While in the cafe we discovered ‘J’ was not registered with a doctor’s surgery. ‘J’ talked about his mental health again. With J we worked to form an Action Plan. This plan prioritised registering with a doctor and obtaining a provisional driving licence as a form of identification. During that session at the supermarket, we used the opportunity to purchase passport style photographs for J’s driving licence application.

On the way to drop J back at home, we called in at his local doctor’s surgery to register him as a patient. This was successful. J was now tasked with making and keeping an appointment with the surgery. This was successful.

During the course of the project developing, we have been able to secure a surgery/workshop session at a local community centre approximately six hundred metres from where J lives. We arranged the next meeting with J to be at that community session. There was a difference in J’s demeanour at this point towards the support workers and this was enabling support to happen, even if it only consisted of talking and tea J was started to brighten up.

After several weeks of meeting J at the community centre with our encouragement he had started to participate in voluntary work at the centre. He had completed several painting and decorating projects as well as tidying the front garden.

J has also taken three hours of paid work with the centre, J will have only completed three hours in total for July, however this is his first paid work for a while. J is doing, was doing very well. One evening a text message was received from J saying he would not be at the next meeting because he had had enough and did not want to be alive anymore. J was not answering his phone, but he did reply to text messages albeit somewhat delayed.

J had nothing to eat, he had not been sleeping well. We managed to talk him down. £10 was transferred to his bank account so he was able to eat, feed his cat and go to sleep not being hungry.

J met with us the next day, somewhat tired, but pleased to engage. We had purchased a pair of safety boots and some overalls for his voluntary work with the centre. J had successfully manoeuvred his blip with our support.

We supplied J with food from the Community Supermarket and managed to complete his Driving License application and send it to the DVLA. J has disclosed a traumatic experience he has had in his life, the death of his son. This is being addressed at his pace and we will listen and seek more support if needed when more is disclosed.

J now volunteers regularly at the community centre, his license is on its way, he has a few hours paid work, and continued support from Positive Pathways, with a weekly meeting and texting when he needs it.

This has been amazing progress with J however I feel we have only scratched the surface when it comes to supporting J and addressing his needs.

J later disclosed his unhappiness with his current living situation where he described living on his brothers sofa and being far to dependant on his brother for support. It was with this in mind we referred J to a local homeless support service who have enabled him to register with them for accommodation and with the local housing authority.

J has only now after six months of support started to look at his CV with us and think seriously about moving on. He is still looking for a place to live and he is still dealing with his mental health issues. He life is still up and down depending on how he feels and agrees without the support he has received he would probably be dead!

The priorities now are to find him a place to live and continue to encourage him to come to the group where he receives peer support from other members.