Ending homelessness by Christmas would be a start. From the supported housing frontline, Mark Handford asks what happens after Boxing Day, and what it takes to help people stay housed.
Gambling addiction can remain almost invisible in supported housing. This frontline reflection explores financial harm, shame, homelessness and how curiosity can open the door to better support.
Why I turned years of experience in supported housing into an original song about dignity, trust and seeing the person beyond the labels.
“I don’t know what to do next.” For a frontline worker, those can feel like uncomfortable words. We work in environments where we’re expected to make decisions, manage risk, maintain boundaries, respond to crises and support people whose lives can be incredibly complicated. There can be an expectation that experience should eventually provide the answers….
Trust is spoken about constantly in supported housing. But for someone who has learned that trusting people can be dangerous, asking for help isn’t a small step. It can be an act of courage, the courage to trust again. “What music are you into?” It hardly sounds like the beginning of a support plan. There…
There is a phrase we hear regularly after something has gone badly wrong. “Lessons will be learned.” Sometimes they are. A serious incident happens. Meetings take place. Policies are reviewed. Risk assessments are updated. Procedures change. Staff are consulted. Reports are written. All of that is important. When something goes wrong, particularly when people have…
I spent twenty four years working in the building trade before moving into supported housing. During that time, I learned a lot about buildings. But one of the most important things I learned wasn’t really about buildings at all. It was about people. You could have the best drawings, the best materials and the biggest…
“Historic substance misuse.” I heard those three words during a recent housing discussion and immediately found myself thinking: Let’s do everything we can to keep it historic. The person being discussed had experienced problems with substances previously but had begun moving forward. The question was what level of supported accommodation would now best meet their…
When the worst has already happened, risk can start to look different. One of the questions I am asked most often is why some residents appear to take such extraordinary risks. Why return to an abusive relationship? Why trust people who have repeatedly exploited them? Why relapse after months of recovery? Why walk into situations…
Why frontline expertise in supported housing should shape service design, policy decisions and better outcomes for residents.
We use cookies to improve your experience on our site. By using our site, you consent to cookies.
Manage your cookie preferences below:
Essential cookies enable basic functions and are necessary for the proper function of the website.
These cookies are needed for adding comments on this website.
Statistics cookies collect information anonymously. This information helps us understand how visitors use our website.
Google Analytics is a powerful tool that tracks and analyzes website traffic for informed marketing decisions.
Service URL: policies.google.com (opens in a new window)
