Case studies – updated monthly

Case study – April 2025

(Fictitious names have been used throughout to protect identities)

I interviewed Ranco as a “Walk in” appointment. He was so, clean cut and well-presented that it was difficult to believe he was homeless until someone else later corroborated this fact.

Ranco was Eastern European and had a weak grasp of English.  He said that he had been helped here before and his main concern was that he had been refused Universal Credit as his Passport was with the Home Office and the benefit couldn’t be awarded, until his immigration issue was resolved.  He was insistent that he wanted a Solicitor so that his status could be regularized “I want to work”, he said.   He also wanted a Bank account, he gave me to understand that he had argued with the Bank Manager, because the cards which he had ordered had not arrived, then his account was closed.

I submitted a referral to an organisation that Manna uses for immigration issues and topped up his Oyster card as he informed me that he needed to sign on with the immigration department weekly.  

In subsequent interviews Ranco gave me information revealing more serious and intertwined issues. He informed me that he had outstanding fines to pay and that the Salvation Army had been helping him pay these.   He had missed his last payment instalment because he had no funds and the Salvation Army weren’t helping him anymore and he was worried about the consequences of missing the payment dates. He wanted to know whether Manna could help him, I told him that it was very unlikely and I was sure that I would not be able to apply for a Grant for this matter either.

I learned he also had a Community Service Order, from what I could gather he said he had harassed a Waitress who wouldn’t sell him some Coffee, he conceded that he had been drinking beforehand. He seemed to brush this off as a minor incident but it must have been serious to result in a fine and I was concerned that this might also impact on his application to get settled status in the country. I also began to wonder who I was dealing with because his presentation was always affable and polite but this evidence was telling an increasingly different story.

I called HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) and learned that he had two sets of fines which amounted to a few hundred pounds and these had been amalgamated now and transferred to another geographical office.  I managed to secure a “stay “on this case. His ability to pay would be revised in a few weeks’ time and an action plan devised going forward. The Salvation Army had paid £100 towards these and there were a few hundred pounds outstanding

I also booked an appointment to go with him to the nearest branch of his bank, to sort out the issue of the cards.  My Director did ask how safe I thought I might be, alone with this gentleman outside of the building; I felt I had risk assessed this pretty well, we were going to be in public spaces all the time. When we arrived at the bank, we were attended to by someone who eventually told me in measured tones that the bank had given instructions that the account was to be closed. I haven’t heard of such a thing before and my Director’s earlier question began resounding in my head as the number of “Warning” signs around this client were increasing.

At another appointment Ranco advised that he had an upcoming court case in another part of the country but didn’t have the transport fare, he wanted me to call the Solicitor who had dealt with him before, as she had asked that the case be dismissed.  I called her on his behalf and she communicated that the case had been dismissed. 

Ranco came one day waving a food voucher from Pola, the Building Manager for a church who had befriended Ranco. He was pleased but also looked worried asking if I would call Pola because he had offered to pay some of the fines and Ranco wanted to confirm this. Pola told me he had been working with Ranco for years – Ranco had seemingly suffered some type of trauma which caused him to dislike being near others in a night shelter for example but the Home Office had disputed his claims that he was a modern slavery victim, hence his present homelessness.

Ranco had been sleeping rough in the grounds of Palo’s church where he was known for drinking and being abusive to Congregants and complaints had been made about his behaviour. Pola had NOT volunteered to pay the fines but had referred Ranco to Streetlink on a few occasions without result and found a solicitor who would research an application to regularize his status and once this was achieved Ranco, could claim benefits and housing an end goal which Pola was keen on.

We had decided to apply to a different bank for Ranco but he told me he already had one and they too had not sent along his bank cards. I checked and it was an online company but Ranco had not uploaded the necessary ID documents to complete his application, he did not seem to understand this needed doing so I supported him in this and re- ordered his banking cards

“I have so many problems” he would remark frequently. As he had mentioned that he had been drinking when he had an argument with the Bank Manager and the Waitress, I told him that he had to find a way to stop drinking (lack of funds might prove useful here!!) I could see that this coping mechanism had wreaked havoc already. Much help and inter agency working has been deployed for Ranco. I see my role so far and going forward as helping to navigate a rocky pathway, achieving small successes for this enigmatic gentleman.

Case study – March 2025

I often think that working with clients to help them resolve an issue can be compared to opening a Matryoshka Doll Set- just as you take apart the first doll there is another inside it and so can it be with our clients who initially present one issue during an advice appointment,  but it is connected to a myriad number of others in their lives.

A female client whom I’ll call Ngor, was a regular visitor to the Centre. She would use the showers, was always pleasant, respectful, thankful, clean, well-presented and carrying her rucksack.  Sometimes, when entering the main Servery area where the clients sit, I would hear her before I saw her.

I first met her in October of 2024, and she told me an unfortunate account of her housing history. She was born abroad, had subsequently married and lived with her husband in his country before coming to England.  At some stage her husband’s family found her a place to stay and she lived there for a while before leaving. Her reasons for leaving, as far as I could ascertain, was because she thought the place was haunted. She may have spent time in a Psychiatric Hospital too, but this wasn’t clear as her story was disjointed and muddled in places.

A nearby local Authority had secured accommodation for her via their rent deposit scheme, but she had left that property for similar reasons to the previous one and now, at the time of my first interview with her, was street homeless. Street homelessness is less visible amongst women, whom are more susceptible to danger on the streets than men and so often have to hide away in places because of their vulnerability – even sitting up in a public area which stays open late, such as a hospital waiting room, rather than lying down to sleep in the street because it is safer. One consequence of sitting up so much is that one can develop swollen legs.

Ngor was now visiting family members to get washed and collect her laundry. She would take long rides on public transport and sleep at a police station or a hospital waiting room.  She showed me her feet which were now giving her trouble and for which she had received medical attention, because her shoes weren’t designed for walking as much as she had been, neither were they to be worn for hours. She consequently had to buy more appropriate footwear as a matter of urgency. So, the next time I saw her, she requested shopping vouchers because she had exhausted her benefits travelling to a women centre which is open 24 hours.

Later the next month she called me to say that she would not be visiting the Centre as she was in hospital following a fall. She missed a couple of appointments with me which was unusual and I could not reach her. She reappeared a couple of months later to my relief and delight, she was alright, but still homeless. I completed a night shelter referral and another to Streetlink.

For those who have never made a Streetlink referral, the purpose of it is to alert Homeless Outreach workers to the presence of a street homeless person, by submitting their description and location where they “bed down”, so that the workers can identify them and find them accommodation. Ngor’s referral was not easy!  One question asked which bus routes they used and Ngor named about seven plus the place that she often slept in!

To my complete astonishment, Ngor was located by Streetlink four days later and she was placed in temporary accommodation. I had heard so many complaints about Streetlink previously, chiefly that they were difficult to reach by telephone and when they did encounter homeless people, the follow-up appointments seldom happened. I was relieved that Ngor was off the Streets, could lie down safely at night and give her feet a chance to heal. She also told me that she was studying and as she had worked before, wanted to do so again.

Yesterday, there was an abrupt knock at the Office door, I opened it to behold Ngor with her Ruck sack and two cases. “Don’t tell me you’ve left the temporary accommodation” I said. She replied that she had. My heart sank. She told me that after she had been there for some days, she had over- heard two people talking about putting her in a bag. She had also seen a blood stain on the door when she had initially arrived and she had decided that she should leave. She had come to see if I could find her a place. “But if I do, you’ll do this again” I said in despair.  “No, I won’t” she replied.

We were due to close for the day, so I tried calling the hotel that she had come from and the Case worker who had placed her there, without success.  I suggested that she attend the council office in person and ask for assistance as she already had a Caseworker with them.  I sent an email to the Caseworker too, asking for help to find her alternative temporary accommodation. Just before leaving for the day, I saw a response from the Caseworker, stating that she had managed to source alternative temporary accommodation for Ngor but as it involved an element of sharing, Ngor had declined it.

So Ngor is back to being homeless, her proclivities and periods of being unreachable, having lengthened the journey.  Her phone is not connecting at present; doubtless we shall meet again.

Case study – January 2025 

Frequently I come across people who fall between the gaps of existing service provision and quite often these can be working people, which seems odd at first because having a job can be equated with a modicum of financial and material security. Sadly, some sections of the working populace can find that their job is the only security they have and Charities like the Manna are of immense assistance to them.

I interviewed CL just after Christmas last year. She was working on a Zero-hour contractual basis and had been staying with a friend. She had a major disagreement with her friend and was thrown out suddenly. CL was now staying in a backpacker hostels (they allow a maximum stay of two weeks) and at the Marylebone Women’s Project which will allow women a three-night stay in their shelter provided they can register in time and a drop- in – Centre which is open for 24 hours a day. CL’s finances did not permit her to stay at hostels for long, she would often go to the Marylebone Project. She needed an address for her mail, so I instituted mail permission for her.

She was enthralled at the services we offer here. She had heard of us through word of mouth.  She told me that she would ask bus drivers to allow her to ride for free when she had insufficient funds. She needed to get to work and back to Marylebone that day so I topped her Oyster card up with £15.

A week later the temperature had dropped and when she arrived she was shivering and tentatively asked whether I could let her have a jacket as the only one she had was lightweight. It was on a day when the clothing store did not usually operate but one of the Servery staff sourced a jumper and jacket for her.

I saw her two weeks later, she had made a homeless application and needed some documents to be downloaded and printed as her laptop had broken. She also wanted to go to see her case worker as she could not contact him (completely believable I have had the dubious pleasure on many occasions). I advised her that the sheer numbers that the case workers had to deal with made them virtually unreachable by telephone. Her problems were compounded by the fact that her mobile phone had developed a fault and it wasn’t insured and she could not afford to fix it. I called a charity to see whether they could offer her a phone – Manna did previously have a stock of mobile phones but these all been given to service users.

I contacted a company who didn’t have any phones but could offer a reconditioned lap-top. CL indicated that she would find this very useful so I ordered this for her. As I couldn’t source a mobile phone anywhere, I ordered her a non-smart Nokia phone for which she was very grateful and a further Oyster top-up. As she was a diminutive figure who was travelling around with her cumbersome baggage, storing them temporarily when she could, she was also grateful for details of a homeless storage service. It did feel good to have helped her to help herself as she continues to search for affordable accommodation in London.

Case study – December 2024

Quite often Advisors find they go above and beyond to serve our clients.  I initially saw SG as a walk-in client at the beginning of December. She was homeless, her English was faltering but it sounded as though she had sought assistance from one housing charity but they had not successfully housed her and now she was on the streets in the cold.  She was suffering from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) which meant that although she knew of places where she could receive meals as a homeless person, many foods aggravated her condition so that she often had a bloated stomach – that was the case when I saw her. She said her GP had advised her not to work and she needed to apply for PIP (Personal Independence Payment) because of her illness but she did not have an address.

I registered her for mail permission so that she could use Manna as her address, gave her the number to telephone for PIP application form and I sent her to view a prospective property. She was approved for the property then followed negotiations between the Agents and I, plus a flurry of increasingly frantic emails from them as the days passed until the initial move-in costs were supplied via Manna and SG was able to move in, two weeks after our initial interview.

Days of silence passed as I tried to establish that SG had moved in and before I could collect a copy of the Tenancy agreement to provide accountability to our funder – delays in submitting this could have consequences for future applications so I was beginning to feel as nervous after the Tenancy start date as I had done in the days prior to it!

One day SG responded to my missed call, in distress. The property had a blood-stained mattress, a broken window, no heating, and a defective electric switch to power the shower. She said that she had used her clothes to try to exclude the draft to no avail and it had been as cold inside as outside. She had been to the Estate Agents only to be referred back to the Landlord. If this was to be the way of things then she did not like the property anymore. My heart sank at all this. We were also in the Christmas period so this felt particularly sad. I invited her in for an interview the next day – New Year’s Eve.

When she arrived, I found the details of the maintenance agents and called them. It was the first they had heard of all this. Their Manager told her how to report repairs in future and made arrangements for contractors to come out to deal with the heating and electric socket as priority issues. They would attempt to repair the broken window but if this was not possible it would have to wait until the new year.  SG said she was so cold she wondered if there was a duvet she could have and a jacket. She complained that she had used most of her remaining funds to come down by train to see me. She added that there was no fridge in the flat and she had borrowed pots and pans.

I added £10 to her Oyster card and gave her £40 worth of Aldi vouchers. I spoke to a colleague who found a duvet and a jacket for SG and she was very grateful. Normally clothing items are given out on Mondays, but an exception was made due to the severity of her situation. The Maintenance Manager called back advising that two contractors would be attending her property that afternoon. She left Manna in considerably higher spirits than she had when she arrived. It certainly looked as if the New Year was off to a better start than her Christmas had been!

Case study – November 2024

HO a newly recognised Refugee, attended her housing appointment with a friend who assisted with interpretation, one morning early in November.  Like most Refugees whom I interview, she had become homeless after her Refugee status was granted.

She said that she had become stressed and anxious in Norwich where the Asylum accommodation had been located; she had felt isolated as she could not speak English.  There was nobody from her community nearby, so she said that she was often bored in the hotel and she particularly missed the church community and form of worship which she was accustomed to.

After Refugee status was granted, all these factors above, caused her to travel to London where she knew she would meet members of her community and Orthodox Christian congregations. During her interview, I completed a referral for a Night Shelter and another to a Housing Provider.

Ten days later, on one of the coldest days we’d had so far, she called to ask for a progress report and to inform me that she was still sleeping rough outside Bank Tube Station.   SWEP The Severe weather Emergency Protocol was in operation at the time, meaning that local authorities offer emergency accommodation to street homeless people to prevent them from dying of extreme weather temperatures – cold in this case.  I gave her the number of the local authority homeless service so that she could get some emergency accommodation under SWEP.  I called back a while later and she advised that the phone had rung continuously, without being answered. I had also tried to create a Streetlink alert online so that some Outreach Workers could place her in accommodation but the system was malfunctioning.

I called the Rough Sleeper’s Co Ordinator in Southwark to ask for help, he took her details and these were passed on to the Street Link Workers for the area where she was rough sleeping. When I called her the next morning, she had slept rough during the night and no one had contacted her. I was hopeful that as her description was with the appropriate team, if the cold weather persisted, she would be helped.  Also, my two other referrals were outstanding.

Days later the Night Shelter Project Worker called to tell me he had a place for her – good news, I always get excited about a result!  Days after this, the other housing provider called to advise that HO had been housed.  This is one of the quickest transitions, from homeless to housed that I have seen and just before Christmas too! I am sure she would have received this as a fitting Christmas present.  I spoke to the friend who had interpreted and gathered that the result was pleasing. Here’s wishing her the best with a turnaround in her fortunes.!

Case study – October 2024

L, A 75-year-old gentleman had made a Homeless application to a London Council eight months previously.  He had been placed in Temporary Accommodation whilst Officers made their enquiries.  The Council decided that he was not in priority need for housing and therefore they had no legal obligation to accommodate him.

When I first saw him late in September, he was a sprightly Gentleman; I saw him accidentally drop something and bend over to pick it up without any difficulty! He said he wasn’t taking any regular medication and he even said they had good genes in his family – his mother was still alive – no wonder the Council did not find him vulnerable! It’s also an indication of the scarcity of resources that a homeless man of 75 years, who has £20 a month State Pension and approximately £500 a month foreign pension. is told to make his own arrangement for housing.  He said that he had been homeless for nearly two weeks, he had some plastic bags with him and explained that his nightly routine was to go to McDonalds, buy a hot chocolate, nurse it through the night until the morning when he would go to a Day Centre. 

He had lost his mobile phone, so I secured one for him and fortunately he had a spare sim card so he became instantly “contactable”.  I then made an application to a Night Shelter. I also ran a benefit calculation for L and found that he was entitled to Pension Credit. I started the application for this benefit and completed it for him a few days later when he brought in the supplementary information.

The Shelter advised they had no vacancies on 02/10/24.  On 10/10/24 when I was advised that there was a possible vacancy, I contacted L, his phone was switched off.  When I saw him later, he told me that he would often switch his phone off when he was away from the Centre because there was a shortage of Charging points when he was outside.  On 14/10/24 whilst I was interviewing another client, I saw an email advising that there was a vacancy for L if he was available. Fortunately, L had attended the Centre that day, I gave him the news and the contact details, the Centre called me later to advise that he had arrived an hour earlier than requested – fantastic, I thought at least he is off the streets now. I had also given him the contact details for a storage company which offers a service to homeless people at affordable rates, so that his meagre funds could stretch. Thankfully L’s foray into homelessness was short lived and this placement allows Manna to support L to find more permanent accommodation.

Case study – September 2024

TF’s calm and softly spoken voice and calm exterior belied the depth of anxiety he was in.  He was a council tenant, and his son had joined a gang and allegedly threatened TF with a knife.  TF had reported this to the Police and to his Neighbourhood Housing Officer whom he had little faith in, believing the latter had not been taking him seriously.

TF had been placed in temporary accommodation and as he was in receipt of Universal Credit, his housing costs were covered, but now he was receiving letters about the level of arrears accruing at his principal home.

“All this is causing me stress and depression” he said.  I looked at his journal and saw that he had asked for housing costs to be paid for both homes, something which is permitted for a 52-week period in cases where a tenant flees their main address due to domestic violence. His last communication from the DWP about this issue was a month ago.

I called the DWP and was advised that the issue was still with a Case Manager, there was no timescale for a response and queries with that section were dealt with in chronological order, her advice was that TF post a message in his journal, asking how long he would be waiting.  TF asked me to do this although he had no problem reading what I had written.

I called his Housing Officer who explained that he wasn’t sure that TF fully comprehended the information which he had given him, although TF would always say he had understood. I put the call on speaker and the Officer MG explained that TF had given the DWP incorrect information, namely that he would not be returning to his main home, however the “two homes payment “could be applied provided the Tenant intended to return to their main home. The Council were preparing to evict TF’s ex-wife and son who were now resident in the property.   I now understood why there had been a delay in this payment and explained it to TF adding that if he were to lose this Council property it would be very difficult to get another one.  He seemed clearer, adding that this was not what he understood previously. Once we had finished the call with his Housing Officer, I supported him and typed another message in his journal for the DWP Case Manager.

I expressed surprise that his son was doing this, and TF told me he was dealing with many issues presently. How close he had come to death when his son had arrived with gang members to stab him, was playing on his mind, the son had similarly threatened another member of the family and now the issue of rent arrears was present.  He thanked me for my assistance and left feeling better now that he was closer to a solution.

The next day I contacted him with details of organisations which deal with Child to parent violence. I called him too and he narrated a series of incidents about the fact that his son had come after him at his first temporary accommodation placement and this was his second one, he was scared to return home and confessed to feeling depressed again. I advised him that it strengthened his position if he had a clear rent account, and I would support his request for a transfer from his main home. TF contacted later, he had found the organisations useful (at least this had decreased his feelings of isolation around the issue, I thought.)

Case study – August 2024

I often find that a client will present one issue for assistance and whilst dealing with this you discover others which require a simultaneous solution because they are significant to the resolution of the first.  Such was the case with Mr AZ. He came as a Walk In appointment, requesting to use the phone to call the DWP as he had no credit on his phone and they had left a message asking that he call them.  AZ had chosen to apply for Universal credit in person at the local Job Centre rather than online and the initial interview was completed hence the message.

Once in my office he called the DWP and was advised that he did not qualify for Universal Credit as he had failed the Habitual Residency criterion. He was puzzled as he had lived here for six years, only leaving England once during that period for a ten-day trip! He also had pre-settled status which he had not yet extended to change his stay in England to “settled status”.  The DWP official advised he would leave a note about this issue for the Case Manager who would respond by the next day. AZ had no money so I gave him £20 worth of Aldi Vouchers. and booked a new appointment.

At this appointment AZ advised he had not heard from DWP. He called again, this time he was advised that he had been denied benefit because he had not been working, though he informed the DWP that he had been working up until last year.  His pre-settled status and the interpretation of the conditions attached to it seemed to be causing a problem, because the written notification of his immigration status stated that he was entitled to benefits.  I took some advice and was told the best thing was for him to apply for settled status. I referred him to the Citizens Advice Bureau for this.

When he next saw me, AZ told me that he had been to the CAB but could not be seen and he had another appointment with the Job Centre but when he attended there was no record of his claim.  We called the DWP again and I reminded them of the previous calls we had made to them.  They told me that he had failed the habitual residency test and that his claim had been closed. He could, however, have the decision reconsidered if he requested it. A Mandatory Reconsideration request was conducted on the phone and I submitted a referral to an Immigration Advisory organization to pursue settled status for AZ.

There followed a flurry of email requests and phone calls as this organization collected information from AZ. At one stage AZ, who claimed he did not keep paper records, had to visit his bank and produce bank statements dating back to 2019. I scanned and emailed these to the solicitor.  This eagle-eyed lawyer spotted that there was one missing.  AZ had to return to collect and produce this. We then had to complete the application, and a Zoom meeting was organized so that the Solicitor could guide AZ through the process, but our respective computers were not compatible so the meeting wasn’t running properly and the application kept stopping.  I decided it was best to travel to the office a few streets away.

When we reached the office and tried to start the application via AZ’s phone, it had become very hot and the screen went blank. After a few attempts at other methods, the solicitor volunteered his own phone and matters progressed. but I couldn’t wait for the outcome.

Days later the solicitor advised that the AZ had been awarded settled status! A few weeks later the solicitor called again asking whether AZ had reapplied for Universal credit, I wasn’t aware that he had so I called him.  AZ informed me that he hadn’t because of an unpleasant experience during his last visit to the Job Centre. He said he would need my help to reapply for UC. I asked how he had managed without money. “I didn’t pay last month’s rent”, he replied! “We don’t want you to lose your home” I told him and organized a new appointment. The phrase” Pandora’s box” comes to mind but it is all good!

Case study – July 2024

EP had been to the Manna Centre the day before I saw her and a few of the staff were concerned that she seemed vulnerable and prioritised her for an Advice appointment.

When I interviewed her, I learned she had arrived in the UK as a single female domestic violence survivor who had fled from her country, (a member of the Commonwealth) to start a new life and seek Asylum here. She had several items of luggage, including a large and very heavy suitcase, I wondered how she managed it with her slight frame.  I give credit to the other service users who saw the two of us struggling with her baggage in and out of the office and offered to help or obliged if I asked them to do so.

EP advised me that as her country was part of the commonwealth she was entitled to be here for six months. She stated that when she initially sought help, she was advised by an official that she had too much money to qualify for assistance and she should return when her funds were depleted.  She stayed in hostels briefly and shortly after commencing her asylum claim, her handbag containing her ID and phone was stolen. She was now street homeless, had no money and her status here had not been determined.

I managed to get her a mobile phone from one of Manna’s homeless packs, buy her a Sim card and £10 Credit and purchased an Oyster card which I also topped up. In the office she managed to contact Migrant Help who had been helping her with her asylum application but were unable to continue because they were unable to contact her, now they had a new number for her. Additionally, I instituted her “mail permission” status so she could now use Manna’s address for correspondence for the next six months.  Whilst in the Centre she was also able to have a hot meal and have her phone and laptop charged.  I also contacted a shelter where she could sleep for three nights and made a referral to another one for a longer-term shelter placement.

She returned the next week, I made another referral for her, and she was really grateful for the phone and Oyster card and happy to have slept in comfortable surroundings. She confessed to having slept rough at least once in the UK. As her asylum claim was ongoing, I could not support her to apply for Universal Credit. She called Migrant Help again and was signposted to legal services. I applied to another night shelter, because she can use that service without being in receipt of benefits. Once finished she took a shower and had a meal, looking more relaxed than she had previously been.

Case study – June 2024

IAD came to see me in February this year he was a Pensioner with a long-term illness plus other health issues. He came to submit documents for his housing application, which my predecessor had started with him last year.  He was anxious about the length of time that it was taking and that certain Housing Officials were being unnecessarily slow and obstructive.

He kept me abreast via emails and in March he notified me that he had been nominated for a property and we were both excited about this.  In May he advised that he had a viewing date for the property- nearly at the goal. I had an appointment with him the day after the viewing and he was angry, telling me emphatically that he had rejected the property as it was a Prison and a Hospice. He complained that there would be a morning roll call and if he went out this would be noted in a book, he didn’t understand why his movements would be monitored this way. Also, he wouldn’t be able to have visitors, or anybody live with him.  What about his human rights, he demanded? Adding that he wanted his freedom!

As he was an educated Gentleman and as we hadn’t any previous problems communicating, this latest development puzzled me. I knew he couldn’t have been offered a Hospice by the Council but found the property details anyway and spoke to the Sheltered Housing Worker who had shown him the property.  I outlined his concerns and she told me that she had explained it wasn’t a Prison or a Hospice, but he was adamant, so she had notified the Council that he had rejected the property.

When I looked at the emails accompanying the offer, the Council deemed it a suitable and reasonable property for IAD, so his rejection for spurious reasons, I feared, would cause the Council to discharge its duty having done its legal best, end his temporary accommodation and IAD would need to find his own accommodation. I told him of my concerns, and he was happy to consider the private rented market as he would have his freedom.  I advised him to contact his Caseworker to find out what their next steps would be.

In June IAD came to see me advising that he wished to reverse his withdrawal having spoken to his Support Worker at the NHS.  Apparently, he had received information about Hospices on the same day as the viewing, became frightened and confused, concluding he was being offered a final resting place, hence his reaction. I pointed out that I had tried reasoning with him as had his Sheltered Housing Worker, but he had been emphatic and adamant. 

At his request I called the Sheltered Scheme, they had received an email from his Support worker and I was advised the property had been let so I should contact the Council.  I sent an email to IAD’s Caseworker advising that he wished to reconsider, inwardly thinking that there was little chance the Council would accept this now.

Shortly afterwards, I was surprised and relieved to learn, via an email from IAD’s NHS Support Worker that Southwark would make him a new offer.  I congratulated the Support worker on her persistence, and she said:

“Hi Chinasa,

Think it’s to do with IAD getting in contact with you because without the advocacy of Manna he wouldn’t have reconsidered or understood that a direct offer of sheltered housing is in all probability the very best outcome.”

 

Case Study – May 24

I have reflected on how a language barrier can cause someone to fall foul of the systems here unknowingly, I have observed this with Universal Credit Claims, the last one happened recently. SWG attended an appointment at Manna stating that his Universal Credit had been stopped. Also, his mobile phone wasn’t working he could not receive the text messages which the Job Centre had sent to him.

I called the Department of Works & Pensions (DWP) on his behalf then passed the receiver to him to speak to the Officer, with the call on loudspeaker. When the caller asked SWG to confirm his name it wasn’t immediately clear because SWG pronounced his name in the phonetically and dialectically correct way additionally his voice was soft.  Eventually there was understanding. The Officer asked whether he was happy for him to continue talking to me. SWG looked at me confused and I explained the question and reflected how we Officers have to rethink our usage of professional language when dealing with clients whose first language is not English. The interview could not continue because SWG was using his Wife’s phone, but his number was registered on the claim, the verification text had just been sent through to SWG’s phone and could not be resent. The Officer advised that we call again this time with SWG’S wife present to give her consent to the interview.

SWG returned with his wife, SF, but stayed outside the building to attend to their child (children aren’t allowed in the centre). I called the DWP again and a translator was called on to assist. I could see SF struggling.  When she was asked to give her surname she hesitated and gave her first name; I became anxious because failing to answer the security questions could jeopardize the interview.  She was asked to spell her first name and struggled again with the alphabetical names and arrangements. At times I did interject to assist and in desperation, asked the husband back in with their child, as the place was empty of service users, a colleague advised that this would be alright. My colleague and I provided a Dolly and drawing materials to keep the child entertained whilst the parents dealt with the DWP.

SWG had a better command of English than SF and communicated the problem. The Officer resolved the solution and told SWG to return home as the matter would be solved. The next week SWG returned, the issue remained.  I called the DWP again, we struggled but managed without translation, the issue was revisited, SWG was told his payment would arrive soon. SWG thanked me for my help – we had stressed but it was worth it, another example of the versatility and agility of the services offered by Manna.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

Case Study – April 2024

RA is an existing client who recently became homeless. He had been living with his mother and relations between her and his siblings had become strained. Additionally, the place where they were staying was overcrowded.  He later started a relationship with his girlfriend and had moved in with her. Tragically she had died two months previously. He had no tenancy rights to at his girlfriend’s home and whilst he considered the relationship with his family to be a significant one, because of the relationship breakdown he felt he could not return even for a temporary period to his mother’s home. He had very few friends, though one of them had allowed him to stay.  He was also undergoing therapy, due to the past and recent trauma. Additionally, his work record was also sporadic, due to the field he was in.

In the referral that I made for him, he told me that he could not remember all his past addresses, I collected as much information as possible and dispatched it.  The Housing Provider called weeks later and asked me to include one borough in the address history which RA had forgotten, as it would provide him with a Local Connection and increase his chances of being housed by them. I spoke to RA, he was housed two months after I had referred him, he sounded relaxed and told me that this Supported Housing Provider had been good at helping him find work and this was still on-off.  So, he had accomplished one goal which he had identified with me, housing. The other, employment is in progress. Hopefully the familial relations will be restored soon, despite this, his mental health has already improved. 

Case Study – March 24

George was a client whom I dealt with as a walk-in one day, he was disheveled, anxious and it was evident that he was sleeping rough.  Manna had supported him to take a test to get a qualification for his trade, he had failed it and he had come to apply to resit the test.  The earliest opportunity was the next day and he leapt at the chance – I booked it for him admiring his determination.

He came into the Centre the next day waving his certificate- he had passed! Now he wanted to apply for his CSCS Card so that he could work but he didn’t have the money to pay for it.  I booked him another appointment and we applied for the CSCS card online. There was a lot of running up and down to do (literally) and we had to enter the registration details of the old certificate, which was not too legible on his phone, so we had a good few tries before the system accepted it.

He came in after the weekend to inform me that the application had been rejected owing to an administrative technicality, so he wanted to apply again, the money for the first application had not been taken yet. We applied this time and called trying to rectify the errors to ensure that the application was a success. In addition, he asked for some shopping vouchers which I had to leave the office to get for him. He conceded that he had taken a lot of my time and thanked me in appreciation.

The next day whilst busily walking down the corridor to see my next client he stopped me to say that the application had been successful he was now waiting for the card to arrive at the Manna Centre in the next five days.  I was so pleased for him.

The day after that someone approached me in the corridor to ask something and they seemed to know me. I was briefly puzzled but I recognized the Jacket, it was George!!  “You look different” I said.  “Yes, I have had a shower and a shave he replied”, indicating the Centre (attendees can have a shower if they submit their names early enough in the morning).” I feel more confident”, he added.  He looked more youthful and relaxed now.

The next day I saw him in the Centre again, waiting for something, when I asked, he told me that he had received a message telling him that he had mail. It was for his bank account, but he said the CSCS team had written approving his application and when he received the card, he would bring it in to show me. He was also due to meet the DWP who had cancelled his Universal Credit claim as he had gone abroad and this had caused him considerable hardship upon his return. It looks like onwards and upwards for this determined young man, whom I have found inspiring and I am glad to have assisted him on his journey. Brilliant stuff!

Compassion amongst the needy – January 2024

I am a newcomer to the Welfare and Advice Team at the Manna Society and have arrived at a time when a change in Government legislation has caused an increase in the numbers of street homeless particularly amongst those who have recently been granted Refugee status. A significant proportion of the Refugees that I have seen are from war torn East African countries.     Many of them have a poor command of the English language and at the Manna Society we do not have a Translation service, which can make interviews very challenging. Notwithstanding, people still assist each other.

I interviewed one chap about his homelessness, his translator was someone whom he had just met in the Servery (eating area) that morning they discovered they spoke the same language and one volunteered to help the other. I genuinely admired that empathy with legs on it!!

I had two appointments with clients whom I will call A and B.  A was running very late so I started interviewing B and part way through A rang. He was nearby but couldn’t find the place and because of the language barrier couldn’t tell me what he could see, what the name of the street was or how to spell it. I realized that A and B spoke the same language and B’s command of English was good “Would you mind?” I didn’t have to say anymore. He spoke to A on the Office phone then put the number in his own mobile, gave up part of his interview time with me to go out and look for A who was just down the road.  I commended B on this when he returned,” Well he is in need just like me” he replied.

I saw the most impressive example of this self- sacrifice when interviewing a young street homeless refugee who came with someone to translate. The Translator, I learned later, had once been a new arrival to the UK himself and was now well established. He had seen the young homeless refugee on the Street, in the cold, realized they were from the same community and took him in. His own heating was faulty at home, but he thought it was better than leaving this man on the streets. He is a Mini Cab driver and took the day off work to accompany the young man to his homeless interview.  It’s good to see that the milk of human kindness in some parts still flows freely amongst those who need it themselves.

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