NPH's Support Team are an outstanding provider for care and support
We're pleased to say our Housing Support service is now accredited. They were assessed as outstanding by the national body, the Centre for Housing and Support at the end of 2018.
NPH's Support Service are a team of 13 specialist staff, support and welfare professionals, who are experienced in helping people who are struggling to manage at home. Cases range from mental health support, visiting older people, working with care leavers and supporting victims of domestic abuse. Support includes budgeting and managing finances and helping people claim benefits. They also spend time each week meeting up with their clients, listening to them and making sure they get the help they need from outside support services.
The accreditation for the Housing Support Team is really important for the 300 tenants our service currently supports. Since March 2017 the team have also reclaimed in excess of £200,000 in benefits for people who weren’t in receipt of their full benefit package at the time.
“I don’t think I’d be in the position now if it wasn’t for the help”
NPH Tenant Joe is one of those to get help from the support service. Joe was a successful businessman but the loss of his company, his family home and his mother in a short space of time was the tipping point for his struggles with alcohol dependency.
After suffering a stroke, Joe confided in a neighbour who advised him to get help.
“I was always someone who thought I can deal with all the issues on my own. I realise now that it is important to talk about how you feel. It made me realise that I had to do something.”
Joe’s support worker Andrea visits once a week to help Joe with life at home, keeping up with payments on his utility bills and putting him in touch with support services to beat his addiction. Without Andrea, Joe says “I don’t think I’d be in the position now if it wasn’t for the help. Andrea is a good listener. I can talk to her and she understands”.
Joe is now caring for a young cat called Guinness who lives with him. He is looking forward to spending more time with family in 2019.
“It’s been a hugely positive experience”
Claire is another to benefit from the support she received from the service. In her own words Claire had a “breakdown” and lost her job working in teaching. She got behind on her rent and through a meeting with Claire’s Rent Income Officer she met support worker Kelly:
“Kelly has helped me and fought my cause. She helped me with phone calls [about my benefits] and filling in paperwork. She helped me claim backdated payments”.
Claire has recently moved home to be closer to her family:
“I was living in a flat in the town centre, but I was having difficulty getting out of the flat. Kelly helped me move closer to family where I am now. She knew I wanted to be in this area. And moving in she helped me with finding furniture through a charity. She kept everything moving along. The support was ideal for where I was at the time”.