Hannah is a Navigator in our Single Support Service
Hannah works with women who are rough sleeping, sofa surfing or in emergency accommodation. The women she works with experience severe multiple disadvantages, such as homelessness, domestic abuse, substance misuse and mental illness. She is currently supporting ten different women.
How are women referred to you?
- Self-referrals
Hannah often approaches women who are sleeping on the streets and also meets women when they are accessing other services. - Street Outreach Team (SOT)
If the SOT team are struggling to engage with someone, they might refer them to Hannah because of her experiences of working with entrenched rough sleepers. Hannah often works with women who are homeless but aren’t seen rough sleeping by the SOT – they might be sofa surfing or living in unsuitable accommodation. - Referrals from other services such as Women’s Aid, which might not be able to support someone if they are homeless or at risk of homelessness.
How do you start working with people?
“When I first meet someone, I start by building a relationship with them and simply getting to know them. It’s essential that we build trust, so I listen to how they’re feeling and try to understand their current situation. I’ll visit them where they’re staying and we can get to know each other. I’ll then ask for their permission for me to talk to other services on their behalf. This might be the police, Women’s Aid, adult safeguarding or adult social care.”
What impact does your work have on the women you support?
“I often work with women who have been abused and have felt unable to do anything about it. It’s really important that they feel heard and understood and not made to feel like it’s their fault. A lot of the women I work with are dealing with the effects of domestic violence or sexual abuse. I work with women who have fallen through the net – people whose needs have been considered too high or too complex and therefore left out of the system. It’s incredibly important to me that we leave no woman behind, regardless of their needs, history or experiences.
“I try and help my clients to regain their faith in the system, as many of them have fallen through the gaps between the statutory services. I try to break down barriers that they might have with social care or the legal system. I often refer them to safeguarding or work with the courts to give solicitors my clients’ side of the story.
“I’ve had some amazing outcomes with the police, working towards reducing the risk of harm for my clients and helping to provide evidence for putting restraining orders on perpetrators.
“Almost all of my clients are victims of sexual violence and are experiencing multiple complex traumas. These women are often left out of broader society because of ingrained stigma. Sometimes their children have been removed, they might have been involved in sex work or be using drugs.
“Until they’re looked after, listened to, protected and kept safe, these women won’t be able to move forward.”
What’s the effect of having severe multiple disadvantages (SMDs)?
Having severe multiple disadvantages can mean you have high needs when it comes to accommodation. A lot of the places that my clients are living in are simply not safe or centred around their needs. There is a lack of supported accommodation for women.
If someone with SMD is experiencing domestic violence and wants to flee a relationship or property, there is a severe risk that they will become homeless. If a woman has issues with drugs or alcohol, their needs might be too high for them to stay at a refuge, as some refuges accommodate children and families. There are limited hostel beds for women with SMD and they’re unlikely to get council properties or private rented accommodation because of this. This can force someone into rough sleeping or sofa surfing, which is an incredibly unsafe environment for someone with complex needs. It’s my job to go out and connect with women in this situation. I signpost them to the right services and empower them to make positive choices.
Case study: Laura*
Before I met Laura*, she had been a victim of domestic abuse and sexual violence from a few different partners. This led her to drinking heavily as a way of coping and her mental illnesses were deteriorating.
Her most recent partner had convinced her to leave her hostel to live with him on the streets, where she stayed for the next few years. The Street Outreach Team first referred her to me when they found her sleeping in a car park. I got to know her, we built a relationship and we started to look at options together.
I found her a room in a shared house, but her ex-partner knew the location, which jeopardised her safety. I rang the police on her behalf and advocated for her because he had breached his restraining order and he was remanded and sent to prison.
This gave us an opportunity to get a lot of other services involved. I found her more suitable accommodation, her own social care-funded flat and supported her to liaise with the police to give evidence. I supported her to apply for Personal Independence Payments (PIP), which she was eligible for because her mental illnesses meant she was unable to work. I referred her to a psychiatrist and put alcohol and drug support in place. She now has a multidisciplinary team to support her and has not slept on the streets for three years. Because of the trust we have, she knows I’m there for her when she’s in crisis. She now has the confidence to speak to the police, manage her own tenancy and work with a psychiatrist to help her move forward.
*Names have been changed to protect identities.
Hannah’s experience of and expertise in working with women with severe multiple disadvantages means that she is a brilliant asset to our support team. We are proud of the work she does and the support she is able to provide. For more information on the work she does, visit our Single Support Service page.
