Working towards independence
Offering housing with support for people with long-term mental health needs, the Stepping Stones service is true to its name. Offering short-term accommodation, it acts as a temporary bridging service between high-level support and independent living.
Reece, 30, has lived in supported housing for all of his adult life. With a number of diagnoses, including anxiety and depression, Reece moved from foster care to supported living when he turned 18. He’s lived through periods of needing high levels of support, but is now at a point where he’s feeling much more secure and wants to live more independently.
Before he came to Stepping Stones he was getting more intensive support than he needed, and it wasn’t the right place for him. He explains: “It was way more hours of support than I need now, and I felt like they were checking up on me every two minutes. I’m working towards being more independent and my Social Worker felt it was time for me to find somewhere new, so they recommended Stepping Stones.”
It’s always tough moving from one supported service to another. Reece admits that he felt daunted about the move to start with, and still has moments of self-doubt: “One of my biggest challenges has been getting used to Support Workers not being around 24/7. But I can call NCHA’s Customer Wellbeing team anytime I need to speak to them. I’m really good at looking after myself, and I want to eventually be able to live on my own.”
Reece knows that Stepping Stones is a big move forward in his long-term plan towards independence, and he’s really appreciative of the support he receives: “The support workers here help get me out in the community, they help me set up my bills and they always take time to chat to me. It’s really comforting to know that if I have a question, I can pop downstairs and ask them.”
At Stepping Stones he has the support of dedicated staff, in particular his key worker, Robin. Together they work through Reece’s personalised support plan, to work towards greater confidence and independence.
At Stepping Stones, he values the freedom to live the life he wants. He enjoys visiting cafes and pubs, and volunteers at a local charity shops. But his favourite pastime is window shopping!
He’s working with Robin to look at available homes to rent independently, and with his sights set on eventually living by the sea, the future has no limits for Reece.
Celebrating Supported Housing
This week we’ll be sharing stories and celebrating the transformational work of supported housing, in support of National Housing Federation’s Starts at Home Day (30 August).
Find out about the supported housing services we offer on the care and support pages on our website.
