After finding himself homeless following a break-up and losing his job due to a serious health condition, Nick sought the help of Burnley Together.
Having heard about the scheme from a friend, Nick expected to arrive at Down Town for food support and maybe a sleeping bag. Instead, he’s had his whole life turned around thanks to the collaborative efforts of Amanda, Chris and Rachel.
Arriving at Down Town
Nick first met Amanda, a Down Town Caseworker, after arriving at Down Town in February this year.
After settling Nick – who was ‘visibly shaking and upset’ – with something to eat and a brew, Amanda quickly began applying for emergency accommodation to ensure he was off the streets.
He was soon placed safely in emergency accommodation. After this, Amanda supported Nick with everything he needed to begin re-building his life. She helped him apply for properties, fill in referrals for mental health services, supported with a food provision and completed applications for benefit support.
Soon after, Nick was successful with a bid for permanent housing and now lives in a Calico Homes property. To ensure he had everything he needed to settle into his new home, Amanda also supported him with applications for furniture, white goods and carpets, as well as providing tenancy related support.
Nick explained: “I walked into Down Town a complete mess. My mental health was playing tricks with me. I’d just been diagnosed with ADHD but wasn’t medicated for it”.
“When I met Amanda, she was very calm and helpful. After telling her my troubles, I left with a sense of relief. She helped me with everything and helped me conduct myself”.
Giving time back
Now settled at home, Amanda decided to see if Nick wanted to start re-building his confidence and meeting new people. To do this, she suggested the idea of volunteering at Down Town.
Amanda quickly organised a volunteering position for Nick in Down Town’s café, where he began working five days a week serving customers, preparing food and waiting tables.
Amanda said: “It was keeping him busy, keeping that routine and in an environment that supported him. Everyone got along with him in the café”.
Whilst volunteering at Down Town, Nick was supported by Rachel Jackson, Calico’s Volunteer Co-ordinator. She began looking for more volunteering opportunities for Nick around the Calico Group – including their ‘Clean and Clear Team’.
Finding work with Steps to Employment
In May, after Nick became confident in his Down Town volunteer role, Amanda made the decision to refer Nick to Calico Enterprise’s Steps to Employment programme to begin finding paid work.
The Steps team often host drop-in sessions at Down Town, so it was the perfect opportunity for Amanda to introduce Nick to Chris Marsh, one of the Employment Coaches.
Chris helped Nick with everything from re-building his confidence, to working on his CV and prepping him for interviews. Unfortunately, Nick didn’t get the first role he interviewed for, but Steps to Employment was about to help him once more.
Chris explained: “A recruitment agency came to an open day here at Down Town. I was introduced to the owner, and he told me what he wanted people for roles at The Senator Group – I thought Nick would be perfect for the role. They interviewed him there and then and said they would love for him to start.
We organised a bus pass to get him to work and since then, he’s been golden. He’s got good feedback. He’s always on time, he always works hard – he just needed that break”.
Looking to the future
Nick is now thriving in his role as an office furniture assembler at The Senator Group and is looking forward to rebuilding his life even more. He’s even doing overtime.
Talking about the successful partnership, volunteer co-ordinator Rachel, added: “Nick is a great example of using trauma informed care. We listened to him and understood why he was acting like he was and providing the right level of care. He’s made progress in that journey, and it’s been great to see him move forward like he has”.
“It’s difficult keeping spirits high but it just shows that with hard work we can achieve anything”, Chris added.
Reflecting on the process, Amanda said: “Referring at the right time is essential. It’s all about meeting people’s needs before setting themselves up to get their life back on track”.
Now looking forward to what the future holds for him, Nick concluded: “Everyone at Calico and Down Town have helped me re-build my life. Thank you to everyone”.
