Hello and welcome
from Scott Robertson, Operational Manager, Quarriers Health, Children & Families team
Hello!
Welcome to your round-up of news from Quarriers.
I’m Scott and I’m saying hello and goodbye! After working in social care for 42 years, I’m soon to retire. For most of my career, I have worked in the area of youth homelessness, and I have been reflecting on those years and how things are now.
I wanted to share some thoughts.
Things have changed a lot in how we support young people who find themselves in the terrible situation of homelessness. When I started working in the early 1980s, the legislation in Scotland didn’t see them as especially at risk – we didn’t make sure they had housing and support. However, in recent years, the Scottish Government has introduced a raft of positive homeless legislation that gives local authorities a legal duty to ensure that they carry out a housing support assessment for all homeless young people and provide suitable settled accommodation via council housing, Housing Association or a private landlord.
But solving homelessness is not just about housing. I know I was
Scott
Solving homelessness is not just about housing.
supported, encouraged and pushed by my parents. And about 20 years ago, the idea of supported accommodation was introduced, where homeless young people are provided good quality accommodation as well as support from mentors or support workers.
That’s what we do today at Quarriers, and what makes a difference is building up appropriate, trusting relationships with young people –many of whom have no one else. Being there 24/7 can be tremendously powerful, and in this issue of Quest you can hear about the on-call support that we provide through the night.
Learning life skills like cooking, with support.
Of course, it can be frustrating for workers – they’re working with 16-,18-, 20-year-olds – and never mind them being homeless, that age group is frustrating and they “don’t dae as they’re telt”! That’s something that never changes!
Indeed, working with young people who have faced such traumatic events and adversity as they move from childhood into adulthood can be more than frustrating – it can be very difficult and upsetting at times. But also very rewarding and satisfying.
When you see young people do things you never thought they would be able to do – and sometimes it can be things that seem normal or mundane – then it’s amazing.
If we can help support and guide these young people through their teenage years and their early 20s, it can have a long-term positive effect on their lives.
As I say goodbye to my career and my time at Quarriers, I reflect on what a privilege it has been to play my part in supporting young people to navigate the many barriers that society places in front of them.
Scott
298 young people are supported across 7 Quarriers youth homelessness services
(Aug 2024)
night shift stories*
Whether you’re a parent of a 16-year-old living at home or a young adult in their 20s living independently, if they need you, they need you – no matter what time of the day or night. For Quarriers services supporting young people affected by homelessness, it’s the same. Here, we share some night shift stories.
*Reader discretion advised.
Angela Campbell, Service Manager
At this service, we’re supporting young people to live in a temporary tenancy provided by the local authority. So, they’re on their own.
I’d say at any one time, we’re working with at least one young person who has disclosed abuse, and we may be supporting them through the legal process and the trial of the perpetrator. It is really brave. It can fracture whole families. So young people can feel isolated and anxious, especially at night. They can call us any time from 9am–5pm, and after 5 there’s an on-call to cover the phone line. Even if it’s 2am, someone will be there.
Darren,
supported by Quarriers
I was placed in a one-bedroom flat in the community, with outreach support from the Quarriers team. I remember the very first night I was in my flat by myself – I was petrified. I’d never been alone like that. You can phone the Quarriers team 24 hours, and I phoned the nightshift phone and spoke to Paul. He was absolutely amazing. He just spoke to me and calmed me down. I will never forget it –he actually stayed on the line until I fell asleep.
Angela
Josh Mensah-Keli, Intensive Support Worker
At my service, we support young people living in tenancies in the community. We have a freephone number that young people can call through the night.
They might be having a mental health crisis and tell us they are considering self-harming, and we will contact the mental health crisis team or police or whatever agency is required.
The most common call is actually from young people losing their keys and then we can get them access to spare keys.
Recently, a young person had to go to A&E during the day, and they were discharged from the hospital well after midnight. They called looking for help, so I was able to get them a taxi home.
Josh
Young people will come and chap the door for a chat, and sometimes what they want to talk about is difficult. They might not have spoken to anybody their whole life about it.
Eileen Winters, Service Manager
The young people we support live in flats above our office. We have one staff member on a sleepover, and one on night cover.
Years ago, I realised that young people often feel more secure if they know who will be there through the night, so we let them know who will be on with them over the night-time on a WhatsApp group.
You’re so privileged to be someone who can listen to them. If we weren’t there, who would they tell? Would they go and do something if they didn’t have someone to say to them “you’re ok”?
A beautiful morning to you all fr om Paul, Maureen and especially Angie!
CHANGING CHILDHOODS
In May, we launched an appeal because we needed your help to fund positive experiences for children and young people. Each and every supporter who donated has already made so much possible over the summer.
Thank you from Claire
Thank you to each and every person who donated to help us get young people supported across Quarriers –and across Scotland – out and about.
I want to let everyone know that in my service we were able to book additional support needs swimming lessons for Archie, whose story we told in the appeal, and in fact for his brother too.
I was at the first lesson. Archie was nervous at first, but he eventually learned to swim a whole breadth! It has been lovely to see a wee boy who has had such a lot to cope with trying something new and fun for the first time.
Claire, intandem Volunteer Co-ordinator, told supporters about just one young boy her service was supporting.
Festival Fun for Moray Young Carers
Donations helped provide our Carer Support Service (Moray) with camping equipment they can use for many activities for young carers. First up, 10 teenagers attended the Scottish Young Carers festival. Everything was amazing! All the activities there were great and I would love to do it again!
Out and about in Glasgow!
It was a nice day out. I got to choose where to go. C
My mind was blown after seeing the modern art gallery.
Erin
Boarding in the Borders
A whole summer of activities organised by Borders Resilience for Wellbeing Service included paddleboarding. The service offers support across every secondary and primary school in the Borders and has supported 8,000 young people since they opened six years ago.
Service Co-ordinator Angela Freeman said, “Many of our young people have considerable difficulties in their home lives, and as a result they have anxiety that affects their lives. To see them out and about meeting each other, having fun, trying new things is just wonderful. It’s so good for them.”
Leah and Darla
I swam all the way out and back!
Forest school in Dumfries
Family Support Service, Dumfries and Galloway
A week in the life of anja
Anja Davidson is the winner of our annual Christmas card competition. Her design is a wonderful painting of the Cloch Lighthouse in Greenock, with Santa soaring over.
Anja has been supported by Quarriers for 21 years. The team at Quarriers Clydeside Independent Living provide support for her an average of four hours every day. They will pop in to Anja’s spotless and homely flat to help with some things like paying bills or attending appointments. But Anja doesn’t need help with everything. For her, independent living means just that, and with her 50th birthday just around the corner, she’s as fiercely independent as she always has been.
Find Anja’s winning design in our Christmas shop insert with this magazine.
We spent the day with Anja, and she told us all about herself. Anja said, I like a routine. On a Monday, I do my dusting. Tuesday, I play my music, and Thursday is hoovering.
Anja
Anja’s weekly planner
On Wednesday, I go to the bank, make a list of what I need, and do my food shopping with a support worker.
Getting on the bus with support worker Pauline
At the bank
Food shopping
Ready to scan!
On Friday, I change the bed and hang up my washing.
I go out on a Saturday, meet up with friends, or go to shows. I won a theatre voucher for my Christmas card entry and went to The Carpenters Experience.
On Sunday, I go to church. I go myself with no support. I walk there and get a lift back.
I like knitting – hats and scarves are my favourites.
My mum taught me how to knit when I had chickenpox when I was a teenager. I knit while I’m watching TV, but I can’t if Corrie is on! When she calls for a chat, I say to my mum, ‘I’m in the house dropping all the stitches!’
I feel fantastic after winning the Christmas card competition. I did the painting at college. It’s the first thing I’ve won. Now I’m famous!
Knitting at home
Anja with her design
FUNDRAISING STORIES
Josh goes the extra mile in memory of mum
Josh Dobinson took on a personal challenge and raised money in aid of Quarriers Arrows service, which provides drug and alcohol support in Moray.
Like every good fundraiser, he set up an online sponsor page, and explained his reasons for taking on the challenge. His own words say it best, so we share them here. Thank you Josh for all your brilliant efforts, your mum would be proud.
Earlier this year, my mum passed away. She was only 63 years old. She was the best mum that I could have asked for. She did everything she could for me and my sister. She whole-heartedly supported us in anything we did and was our biggest cheerleader.
I am taking part in this Baton Relay by cycling between Edinburgh Gogarburn to Greenock, a total distance of 66.8 miles.
This is the biggest challenge I have ever taken part in. I am excited to have this opportunity and I’m dedicating this to my mum and the charity that helped her.
Unfortunately, like many people in the UK, she suffered from an addiction to alcohol. A charity that is there to
Josh’s online fundraising page, where he raised £803.36.
support those with addiction or their friends or family in Moray is Arrows, which is a service of Quarriers. This is a service that offers a listening ear and provides advice and information for people facing addiction issues. They helped my mum and helped her
Josh with his mum, Diana, and sister, Grace.
get into hospital to try and save her. While it was too late for my mum, they continue to support others, and I hope to help them continue this support that is vital to people with addiction and their families/friends.
I think I chose to be so open about my reasons for choosing Quarriers and Arrows because supporting a person, family or friend, with an addiction can be very isolating. I wanted to show others that they’re not alone.
There are people who can help them and their loved ones because addiction is something that shouldn’t be tackled alone. I’ve found that talking about it, so many people have come up to me and said that they themselves are in or have been in a similar situation. I think the more we talk about it then the more support that can be provided and the more people can be helped.
Could you make a difference like Josh?
If you would like to support Quarriers through your own fundraising challenge, then we’d love to hear from you. Email events@ quarriers.org. uk to receive your free fundraising guide full of inspiration.
The event was surprisingly fun – I enjoyed being able to cycle with other people rather than myself in training. I feel very thankful for all the money that has been raised. It all shows what people can do when we come together.
Josh
