Trigger warning: this case study contains references to domestic abuse.

Just before Christmas, Georgia* arrived at Emmanuel House’s day centre with her neighbour during our morning drop-in service. 

The night before, she had no choice but to leave her family home due to domestic violence. Georgia has learning support needs and her neighbour was very concerned about her safety and wellbeing. 

Georgia had some breakfast while we spoke to a variety of different support agencies to gather more information about her housing situation. We advised Georgia to speak to the city council’s housing team to get emergency accommodation, but there was nothing available, so she spent that evening in a hotel to avoid having to sleep rough. During this time, the council referred her to our Winter Shelter.

She moved to our Winter Shelter the next night, where she was provided a bed, an evening meal and breakfast. After 10 nights at the Winter Shelter, Georgia then moved into our longer-term single-room accommodation provision, when a room became available. As it is supported 24 hours a day, Georgia was able to have a long lie-in on her first morning there. 

She was assigned a caseworker, who worked hard to understand Georgia’s situation and how we could specifically support her. 

It was proving difficult to gather the correct information, which presented many barriers. It became clear that Georgia hadn’t been receiving the appropriate support for her learning needs at her previous supported accommodation property and as a result, she had significant rent arrears, which led to her eviction. 

There was also no official record of her learning support needs on her medical files, which meant she was unable to claim any disability benefits or additional support. We worked closely with the DWP to set up payment plans for her to manage her previous arrears and benefits, but it was an incredibly complex case and was taking a long time to progress. 

Georgia’s support needs meant she really needed supported accommodation rather than a private-rented tenancy. 

After 10 weeks trying to find appropriate accommodation for Georgia, she has now moved into a new fully-furnished supported accommodation property. Our Case Worker visited the property with her to check its suitability and provide emotional support. 

She will be provided with support surrounding her benefits and accommodation, and Emmanuel House will continue to provide emotional support. We’re confident she’ll thrive in a safe, stable and supported setting.