Paul first came to Moving On following a breakdown in his previous tenancy, resulting in him staying in insecure accommodation. Paul spent a lot of his teenage years in care following a breakdown in family relationships. This was an extremely turbulent time for Paul and resulted in him developing mental health issues, for which he didn’t received any support, and he began using illegal substances to cope. Once old enough to live independently, he managed to get his own tenancy, but due to a lack of support and independent living skills, Paul gave this up as he couldn’t cope. He ended up sofa surfing and staying in insecure accommodation.
When Paul was given his tenancy at Moving On, he was determined to make a success of the opportunity. He worked with his support worker to assess his needs and develop a support plan that would enable him to work on his personal issues and develop the skills he needed to manage his tenancy and live independently. Young people with Paul’s background can often be hard to engage, but Paul showed how keen he was to get his life on track.
Paul’s engagement throughout was fantastic. He sought support for his mental health issues, reduced his substance use until he no longer used any illegal substances at all. He worked with his support worker regularly to set and manage a budget, pay bills, set up home and search for full-time employment. He has shown repeatedly that he is determined to make a success of himself and live a healthy, productive life.
Through this hard work and commitment, Paul has achieved all of the goals he set himself. He has now secured his own independent accommodation and full-time employment. He is due to move into his new property with his partner and is also expecting his first child.
As proud as his support worker is of him, more importantly, he is proud of himself. He hasn’t only reached these personal goals, he is creating a more positive and stable life for his own child.