P 3 R S P E C T I V E S ISSUE 8 August 2022 John Spriggs-Taylor, P3 Housing Board How JJ Tait Went from the Streets to Business Ownership GUEST EDITORIAL IN FOCUS Mel anie‘s Story of Triumph CASE STUDY Our Mission We work alongside people to improve lives and communities, to unlock potential and open up new possibilities
1 Get in touch! Young People in Halton p9 ON THE COVER CONTENTS Contents and Welcome1-2 5-6 Guest Editorial: John Spriggs Taylor Events Round Up ... 4 3 9-10 www.p3charity.org www p3charity org P3Charity Mel anie’s Story ... From the Streets to Business Ownership ... 7-8 P3rspectives is the newsletter from P3 Charity and the wider P3 Charity Group, bringing our supporters all the l atest news and views from around P3’s services. Big Day Out 2022 Mel anie’s Story p5 6 Rutl and and Halton/ Priceless Volunteers
Joining the P3 team is to be part of something special We are an organisation which truly values diversity and we’re not just a good pl ace, we’re a great pl ace to work. We’ve won industry awards, offer an excellent employee benefits package, and we’re flexible and supportive.
Want to be in P3rspectives? Whether you’re a person who has used our services, a volunteer or a colleague, P3rspectives is for you. If you want to share something with all of us at P3, we want to hear from you. Perhaps you’ve got a personal story to tell, maybe you want to publish pictures of your artwork or you might have an opinion on an issue relevant to P3. Whatever it is, get in touch We want to know Email: comms@p3charity.org Phone: 0115 850 8190 and ask for Comms. Who we are We’re a charity and social enterprise, made up of passionate people who care about people. We run a variety of services all across the UK that aim to give everyone the chance to be part of the community they live in and feel connected to society. We think that everyone is unique and, with support and confidence, can unlock their inner potential to open up a world of possibilities. The key areas that we work in are: • Homelessness • Mental health • Employment, education & training • Youth services • Children & pl ay • Community based support & advice 2 www.p3charity.org P3Charity @P3Charity www p3charity org P3Charity @P3Charity 0115 850 8190 www.p3charity.org P3Charity @P3Charity 0115 850 8190 P3Charity Join Us! As you know, it’s all about people at P3. The reason we deliver such excellent services is because we have such excellent people working for them. Here at P3 we’re always on the lookout for passionate, supportive and kind people who have what it takes to join our team The right personality and a non judgemental, can do attitude are key we can teach you the rest and watch your confidence grow We offer an inclusive, welcoming team culture as well as tailored training and supervision sessions so you can develop professionally in your role and enjoy a career in social care.
The P3 Comms team: Lou, Steve, Rach and Zara.
In fact, many of the people who work for us today are people who have accessed our services in the past and understand first hand what it’s like to go through a tough time. Who could be better suited to working alongside people facing simil ar challenges? We have so many great opportunities avail able at P3 Visit https://p3people ciphr irecruit com/ Applicants/vacancy to view our current roles and apply today!
P3 HOUSING: POWERED
Thank you Jo, Kathy, Gill, Kerrie, Dorothy, Lindsey and all at P3 Housing, for everything you all do to change so many lives every day.
But now there is the cost of living crisis, another recession seems inevitable, and it is vital that we support people to avoid a further increase in homelessness. Can we continue increasing our supply of housing options?
Well, I think the future of P3 Housing is very bright. If previous recessions are anything to go by, small and resilient companies are capable of fast growth and there will continue to be opportunities. The 14 months of ‘Everyone In’ showed that amazing things can happen.
@P3 Housing
Who can hope to live free of pain and suffering without proper housing? I hold no brief for HSBC, but it is providing bank accounts for people who are homeless and I admired its powerful television advert that showed the vicious circle of homelessness. No address means no job, no job means no address not to mention no bank account or GP appointment
“People are worth the investment to end homelessness.”
Housing First started in America and is generally credited with ending homelessness in Finl and. London, Gl asgow, Manchester, Birmingham and other cities have seen success with it too. Well, this is fundamental to P3 Housing. We provide the safe, secure housing first and then we can look at the other issues. Housing First also saves money in health, social care and l aw enforcement People’s behaviours may not change overnight but once their housing is secure, their willingness and confidence to find BY PEOPLE
You may have heard of Housing First. This concept prioritises safe and secure accommodation before worrying about other issues such as finding a job. The idea is that once people are properly housed, they can start rebuilding other areas of their lives
Hello. My name is John Spriggs Taylor and I’m lucky to have a long association with P3. I started as a trustee in 2004, allowing me a brilliant opportunity to visit projects and meet fantastic people, especially the people we work alongside I’m now on the P3 Housing Board and I’d like to share some of my personal views here.
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solutions to other problems can only improve. We can also minimise evictions through stronger, mutually trusting rel ationships
It’s now been over a year since the Government’s ‘Everyone In’ initiative, where hotels and B&Bs were paid for and far more people could be accommodated than were estimated to be at risk. P3 was heavily involved and it was incredible how quickly homelessness organisations found some of the hardest to reach people. People who had previously rejected offers of support now saw that the commitment to help them was real. People are worth the investment to end homelessness.
roun d up 4 www.p3charity.org P3Charity www.p3charity.org P3Charity @P3Charity www p3charity org P3Charity @P3Charity Living it Up! Congratul ations to LiveLife Milton Keynes, which was shortlisted for Homeless Link’s People First Award A&E attendance, hospital admissions and ambul ance calls all fell thanks to the service. Going Pl atinum P3 services
the Queen’s Pl atinum Jubilee in June across the UK. We couldn’t possibly show everyone’s pictures, but here are a few! Good Sports It was all fun and games
Events celebrated at the
Gainsborough Sports Day!
On With the Show! A showcase at Rugby Portobello Trust in London was the perfect opportunity for young people to demonstrate their talents before an audience. Big Day Out Sunshine, space hoppers and sack races it could only be the P3 colleagues’ Big Day Out It was the first one in three years and a good time was had by all!
5 www.p3charity.org www p3charity org P3Charity www.p3charity.org P3Charity @P3Charity
I love studying psychology. I just think it’s absolutely fascinating. It’s things like: how can your brain turn your body off so much that you can sleep but everything else works?
WARNING: This story covers domestic abuse and contains strong l anguage. Ground down from an abusive rel ationship, drug misuse and homelessness, everything seemed hopeless for Mel anie* but look at her now! I became homeless after falling out with my mum. I was sofa surfing and eventually I got a fl at. But the person who had lived there before had been in contact with drug users and had money owing. I had previous issues with drug misuse, got in with the wrong crowd and my partner at the time was abusive. There was no way I could control it and it got out of hand; if anything, it made the drugs worse because I’d be in pyjamas wanting to chill and someone would bring back six l ads with coke and I’d end up joining in. I had to ring my mum once because they wouldn’t turn the music off. There was a mattress in there and I was just sat on it crying and they were calling me a mardy twat I had a gl ass broken over my head once. There was so much stuff coming into that fl at. My abusive partner was banned, but he turned up anyway. I said he could stay at mine for a couple of days but ended up with his mother who was addicted to heroin living with me and I couldn’t use my own bathroom. I never did heroin, I used cocaine. She was heavy on the drugs and shoplifting. I ended up shoplifting for my dinner because I had no money. My partner would use it and said he would pay me back but never did He poisoned me with bleach, he put it in my toothpaste and in my shampoo and conditioner. The day that I moved out, I had a mouth full of ulcers and couldn’t swallow. I found out what he’d done when friends told me People had also spiked my drinks with bleach while I was in my fl at I didn’t know what to do. My drug misuse started before that partner. It was when I was with another domestic abuser. He was emotionally abusive and 13 years older than I was I was 19. He had two kids but I didn’t know anything about them until the day before I moved in. He hadn’t told me because he was worried I might run away. But I ended up being mum to them and I was always l ate for work as he was emotionally abusing me. I was nine and a half stone but he was abusing me and calling me names whenever I went to the fridge. You wouldn’t have thought this would happen.
I’ve looked into things I can do after I graduate, like housing and domestic abuse support services for women, maybe even working at the refuge.
I said yes, so she picked me up, took me on and I got into Elizabeth House, a women’s refuge, with Jo’s help. She was absolutely brilliant, Jo was I had to give the fl at up because we were going to get an ASBO, so I had to go and clear it. But then I went to the refuge, and now I’m in university accommodation off campus and studying psychology It’s the best thing I ever did I’ve put on four stone. I honestly think if I hadn’t moved away I would probably be dead now.
MELANIE’S STORY
There’s also a big demand for educational psychologists My degree will open a lot of opportunities. Right now I’m also working in an Indian restaurant while I study
At school I was head girl, had distinctions and stars at college and went to uni, but quit because I couldn’t do everything I had a counsellor but I didn’t feel I could speak to him. Jo came and at first I thought she didn’t like me, but I felt I could talk to her. She asked me: “Have you got into something you can’t get out of?”
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I made the most of Elizabeth House. I did several courses with Stoke on Trent Council and ended up going back to uni. Elizabeth House arranged it and also enrolled me with the Changes Health and Wellbeing course, where I gained a qualification as a Mental Health Coordinator. The tutor as at l a s r ; t l to aim for t , a s if I iss , I l still l and a t stars. I volunteered to run peer support meetings. I also completed the Freedom Programme, for survivors of domestic abuse, whilst at Elizabeth House. This has allowed me to be able to identify healthy and unhealthy rel ationships, not only with regards to any future partner but friends and family also My ten months at Elizabeth House were the making of me. I began to feel like me again, the old me, and to crave learning again Due to the lengthy time I had experienced domestic abuse, I had come to accept it as normal and deserved. Fleeing my ex was the hardest, but best, thing I have ever done. I will never forget my past, or my time at Elizabeth House, but I’ll always look back and remember that even when it feels like there’s nothing worth fighting for, things can still come good. I’m so gl a I t t . My advice to people is: don’t be afraid to talk. You’re not going to get any help if you don’t. If I can do it, anyone can Jo and P3 were so warm and welcoming and Jo was absolutely brilliant. I still speak to her every now and then She likes hearing my updates. Thank you to everyone at Elizabeth House but, most of all, to my family and friends. For never giving up on me and for supporting me even when I didn’t deserve to be supported I really can’t wait for the future.
*Name changed to protect privacy
YOUNG PEOPLE IN HALTON
FLOATING INTO RUTLAND
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“We aim to upskill young people in the things you need for independence such as cooking, cleaning, budgeting, keeping the home safe, employment, education and much more,” said Stephen Power, Service Coordinator at Halton. “We’re a few months in and are currently supporting two young people, with two more moving in soon We almost have a full team and I’m really excited about the people we’ve recruited. The y are all passionate, dedicated and bring different skills to our team Together we’re going to do all we can to help the young people achieve their independence and to reach their full potential
“I believe our service will grow and offer valuable support and advice to the young people we work alongside. It’s a privilege to work with young people who are care leavers and I hope that we can make a positive impact with them during their time with us at Lavender House.”
P3 has l anded in the East Midl ands county of Rutl and! The new Rutl and Floating Support service is now up and running, providing up to 18 months of support to people aged 16 and over who need help in preventing homelessness or maintaining their housing The service has been commissioned by Rutl and County Council. Working closely with the Council’s housing options team, social care and voluntary organisations, our Rutl and Floating Support can make sure that each person gets the specific support they need. This includes assistance with crisis situations, managing tenancies, budgeting and signposting to other services and access to employment, education and training
People can access support either one to one at home, at a location that suits them, by telephone or online
Service Coordinator Nicky Beasley tells us more:
Some of the service’s first people worked alongside agree: “It has given me the confidence to make changes and its nice to have someone there to encourage me to do that ”
“This is a fantastic opportunity for P3 to offer our support to the people in Rutl and. Working closely alongside the Housing Options team at Rutl and County Council we are able to provide a person centred approach to those people in housing need or at risk of homelessness. Whatever circumstances the y find themselves in, we are committed to helping make a real difference.”
“I felt understood and reassured that someone empathised with my situation.”
Also up and coming is P3’s new service in Halton, Cheshire. This offers a semi independent home, Lavender House, with space for four people aged 16 to 18 who are leaving care. The service also has one fl at in the community for young people who still need some assistance and access to support and we will be acquiring another.
Now, around full time studies, Kelly assists at the hub, joining the Thursday group and being supportive to people who find it very difficult to handle their mail, such as opening letters and organising bills. “If you’re thinking of volunteering but are a bit nervous or unsure, I’d say just go for it and come along to one of the hub sessions. The y’re for anyone in the community and you can see what it’s all about, ask questions, even bring someone with you. There’s no discrimination at P3 and you’ll be supported It’s so satisfying to know you’ve done something that helps people ”
Kelly Cyples
“If anyone comes in my path who needs help, I’ll be right there,” Rachel said. “As a rule, people often don’t understand why people stay in abusive rel ationships, but I understand and I know what people are going through.”
It’s easy to see why Rachel Boon feels this way. She first came to P3 socially isol ated, with her self esteem and mental health in tatters from an abusive rel ationship that had ended more than a year before When could she ever expect to smile again? But when the caring, friendly woman joined the weekly Talking Together group in Swadlincote, people naturally warmed to her. Rachel began to rediscover herself and now she remains with P3 as one of our literally invaluable volunteers
PRICELESS VOLUNTEERS
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Rachel Boon
People Standards peer reviewing As well as being on hand to lift people’s moods, Rachel is also a Peer Reviewer for the People Standards and takes on other tasks too, such as helping to organise a local fete being held this autumn
John Holton John Holton appreciates knowing that he can be part of improving P3’s services for other people as a Peer Reviewer
www p3charity org www.p3charity.org P3Charity www.p3charity.org P3Charity @P3Charity
“I like going out to different pl aces, meeting different people and knowing their feelings,” he said. “You learn about how to make things better, how people can feel more safe. It’s helped my communication skills ” It would be impossible to say just how much value P3 gets from those people who give their time and energy so generously As the old saying goes: volunteers are unpaid, not because they are worthless, but because they are priceless.
Kelly Cyples, on the other hand, discovered P3 when she went along to the Swadlincote hub to support a friend who was struggling with her mental health.
Rachel Boon
“I enjoy peer reviewing, working to make sure that everyone’s happy and finding out if there’s anything that can be worked on to improve,” she added. “I hope to go round some more services soon to get a feel for them.
“Volunteering makes me happy I have a lot of life experience and I’m into helping people and troubleshooting. Volunteering really gives me a feeling of self worth, which is so important after an abusive rel ationship.”
“I was very impressed,” Kelly recalled “I loved the group and what P3 stood for. The staff really took me under their wing and were so supportive.”
Kelly Cyples
“I can’t believe I am actually happy and smiling.”
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After three years, in Year 10, I started to become better behaved I passed all my exams at the end of Year 11. It was time to choose my next path. I decided to go to catering college to do a food course as I’d got a B in Home Economics GCSE and really loved baking it gave me such a joyful feeling But I quit after a few months because I was struggling with life after the care system. I went into shared accommodation with one other person; it was OK to start with but then my mental health started suffering and I began self harming. My girlfriend became pregnant, the rel ationship ended, and that had a big impact. My real mum got in touch just before my eighteenth birthday. I went to stay with her for a couple of months in Scotl and but the rel ationship broke down again and I returned to Derby. That was when I became homeless I was 19 with no job and I felt angry and frustrated.
John Tait, or JJ, was in care at the age of seven and experienced ten years of homelessness. But nowadays he’s an entrepreneur, founder of the business JJ’s Cakes and Desserts. Here he tells his story …
FROM THE STREETS TO BUSINESS OWN
From the age of seven years old, I was placed in care due to severe family problems. I first started in a Bolton foster home where they fostered around five other children. My brothers and I were separated I’m the eldest of three. I became very naughty at primary school; I think this was due to my family problems and the reason why I came into care. Then I was pl aced with another foster family who had only two other kids there. I was a terror. After this I was taken to Manchester where an Italian family fostered me for three years This family treated me like one of their own. I became a Roman Catholic and was baptised and had my Holy Communion even travelled to Italy three times. After three years, I was taken to Peterborough to an adoptive family but I didn’t want to leave my foster family and cried all the way. I spent only a few months there I didn’t like it Then I travelled back to Bolton and was pl aced in a children’s home called Woodl ands, full of other children aged 11 to 16. I stayed there for a few years and was then taken to another kids’ home in Derby. This was my final move as I had become very stressed moving around all the time. I was determined that this would work and that I would grow up. At first I was bullied by the older ones as the new kid. Then I started at a secondary school called Ecclesbourne and was pl aced a year behind so I could start in Year 7 and finish my learning
I was homeless for a good ten years and in that time I slept on the streets, in hostels and sofa surfed.
It was very hard and temperatures sometimes got below zero I walked around in the day and sat in libraries where it was warm. I found it hard to concentrate but I enjoyed reading cookbooks.
Still, I was getting into trouble and was arrested several times. I didn’t know where to go for help or support. I thought, this it is, this is my life. Eventually I was pl aced into my own fl at and got work as a chef. But my pl ace in my fl at broke down and I was homeless again I was in some hostels for a few months. 2018 came. I had left the hostels and was in shared accommodation, which was OK to start with but problems started with the person I was sharing with. After a year, it was time to move on again I wasn’t happy Next I became employed as a chef at a call centre. I had to leave the shared accommodation due to being employed; the rent would be expensive In the summer of 2019, I moved into cost effective, private rented accommodation. I had a job, my own flat and a girlfriend; life couldn’t get any better. But then came the end of 2019 and the darkest period of my life. I lost my job, girlfriend and my fl at all in one go when I pointed out food safety issues at work This had a very serious impact on my mental health I was referred to a mental health crisis team where I was assessed and admitted to a mental health unit. I was a serious risk to myself and was diagnosed with bipol ar disorder and post traumatic stress disorder I was emotionally unstable, couldn’t eat anything at first and refused help. After a few weeks in hospital, I acknowledged that I definitely needed medication and support. Christmas 2019. I was in hospital, soon to be discharged, but I was worried that I’d be sent right back into the hostels, which I didn’t want. My worker on the crisis team got in touch with a housing charity called P3. I was interviewed in hospital and offered a shared pl acement I stressed my concern about sharing due to past experiences, but said I would give it a go. So at the start of 2020, I moved into a P3 fl at in Ilkeston, Derbyshire. My Support Worker made sure I was up to date with bills and managing my mental health. I engaged with P3 groups and started working at a test centre for the NHS. With P3’s help, I bid on a council property at the end of 2020 and got a one bedroom, unfurnished fl at My Support Worker helped me to get white goods and rent upfront. I had no problem with furnishing, as I had stuff from the P3 fl at I became more confident and my self-esteem got better thanks to P3. At the end of 2021 I moved in. The fl at had been fully decorated and furnished and made very homely. In October I started my own baking business: JJ’s Cakes and Desserts Even though I have left P3, I still attend the groups where I bring some samples from my cake business. I’ve applied for an allotment and I’m also interested in becoming a volunteer; with my experiences, I feel I’d suit it
Today my mental health is much better as I am on regul ar medication, and I’ve learned a lot about myself from being in care, becoming homeless, being admitted to a mental health unit and having some very dark days. My life has made me tough from what I’ve been through, but every day now, I wake up in the morning and think, yeah, go man! I’ve come a long way So as the saying goes: don’t judge a book by its cover until you fully understand the story.
ERSHIP 10 P3Derbyshire @P3Charity 0115 850 8190 P3Charity
Cirencester Stroud Gloucester Cheltenham Leicester Nuneaton CRugby oventry Long Eaton Buxton Swadlincote Ashboourne MChesterfield acclesfield Congleton Runcorn M Milltoon Keeynees Aylesbury High Wycombe Wokingham Yiiewsleey Uxbridge Tipton Peterborough Cammbridge Stratford-Upon-Avon Forest of Dean Stoke on Trent C Chheesshhiirre e E Eaasst t Gainnsborough Sutton in n Asshfiield Maannsfield London Derbyshire Ilkestoon Ripley Wolverhampton (Head Office) West Bromwich Lincolnsshhire G Glloouucceesstteerrsshhiirre e West Midlands Boston Grantham Sleaford Linccoln Rutland Huntingdon March Ely Moreton in Marsh Hayes Do you need support? P3 provides services in communities across the UK, supporting people with housing and homelessness, mental ill health, drug and alcohol addiction, offending behaviour, social exclusion and more. Could we help? To find your nearest P3 service, go to www.p3charity.org/get help and type in your postcode, or contact us for more information: www p3charity org www.p3charity.org P3Charity www.p3charity.org P3Charity @P3Charity www.p3charity.org P3Charity @P3Charity 0115 850 8190
