Our County Mental Health worker supports people who are homeless in Nottinghamshire

Trigger warning: mentions of mental illness, abuse and suicide attempts.

A few years ago, Sophie* fled an abusive relationship with her carer and had nowhere to live. She was being controlled in a variety of ways, all her movements, finances, medication and conversations were being monitored. She has schizophrenia and has attempted suicide twice in the past year. She was rough sleeping in Nottingham and started using Emmanuel House’s drop-in service for food, showers and clothes. We worked with the city council to find her emergency accommodation, where she lived before she moved into a rehabilitation facility. She wasn’t receiving the right support and wasn’t able to continue with the treatment. Her situation made her feel as if she had no choice but to sleep rough. She went back to Emmanuel House, where we worked with her local council to find appropriate supported accommodation for her in the county.

Although she was making progress at her supported housing, the staff were worried about how she would cope if she started living independently. They referred her to our County Mental Health Worker in February 2024.

Sophie and our County Mental Health Worker established a strong bond and met once a week so that Sophie could talk about her mental health issues, as well as her anxiety, sense of isolation and disconnection. Our worker advocated for Sophie with a variety of services, ensuring she was getting the support she was entitled to. She ensured Sophie was being supported by her GP and that she was in charge of her own medication. Our worker supported Sophie to move into ‘move-on’ accommodation, which is often a stepping-stone between hostels and independent living, where she is living in a one-bedroom flat.

In the five months we’ve been working with Sophie, she hasn’t experienced any negative spirals or a decline in her condition. She hasn’t needed an ambulance call out or needed to attend hospital. She would love to get back into some form of work and has started volunteering to build up her confidence. She is also taking steps to improve her wellbeing, such as joining a gym. Our worker has noticed that Sophie’s confidence is growing all the time.

Looking to the future, Sophie would love her own home, knowing that she can close the door and be safe.

*Names have been changed to protect identities.

If you’d like to help us support more people like Sophie, please consider making a donation or volunteering.