Death seems to be the theme of the year so far. Two funerals in just over a week, and my first outing to the Drug and Alcohol Related Deaths group.
The DARD group aims to identify any improvements any agency in the city could make. Sometimes, there really wasn't anything different that we can see would have made a difference. Accidents happen. The interaction between alcohol, drugs (street and prescription) is unpredictable. Sometimes people succeed in their aim of removing themselves from the planet.
But sometimes we have to admit we screwed up. When someone desperate is turned away because their ex works at the service they need....well, surely it's right that the staff member moves somewhere else so the person can actually get somewhere to live rather than stay on the street. And two of us agencies have changed our policies to make that so. It won't now help Nico, sadly.
And sometimes we just totally missed every chance.
One of the four people we discussed, Aga, was only 19. Her parents in Poland, who waved goodbye to her in September to go to uni in our city, had no idea that she'd dropped out, lost her place in halls, and got in with drug and alcohol users. Of course, being from and A8 country, she had no recouse to public funds, so couldn't get benefits or a roof over her head. So to get somewhere to stay she had to take what she could get, and sadly, a lot of the people who won't ask questions are the fluid population of drug users.
There are big questions here for national government, as well as us locally. The government want to end all rough sleeping by 2012. So someone somewhere has to do something about all the people who can't access public funds. Taxpayers rule.
And pity the person who had to tell Aga's parents that she had died, in England, and of a heroin and alcohol overdose.
Sunday, 7 June 2009
Wednesday, 20 May 2009
Tension - target-driven or user-focused?
We have a constant juggling act to perform, balancing the needs of the individual with the needs of our corporate partners. Corporate targets demand that we move people on within 28 days, when there's a vacancy in a hostel we find someone to fill it. But individuals don't fit into neat categories, boxes, and sometimes everyone's got a reason, good in their eyes, for not going into a hostel. They don't want to pay £25 a week for food that they might not eat; they don't like the area; they've got bad history with a current resident; they think it'll be an awful place to live. Sometimes we agree with the person...and sometimes not. We have to identify who is genuine and who is just working the system and actually would be fine in the hostel. So it's not just the corporate targets and what the person wants, it's also trying to winkle out what really would be the best move for that person. We've all seen someone desperate to get their own flat, only to lose it within a few months, and then have arrears and anti social behaviour against their name. So sometimes when we push a person a particular way, we might just be right. And sometimes not. Balancing paternalism, wisdom, insight, the person's wishes and what they believe might just be possible - and what we know is possible. No wonder we sometimes get it wrong.
Wednesday, 22 April 2009
Anti social behaviour - by whom?
Sitting in the office idly talking, the manager and a member of staff having just left for the day. Suddenly, we hear the manager shouting, so another female member of staff legs it out. She's a rugby player, and very fit.
Wlaking down the hill, the manager and staff member saw two of our female residents being hosed down by a local member of the community. He lives near our building, and is not happy that we are here. He has suffered, like others in the area, antisocial behaviour from our guys, drinking, hanging around, empty cans and dog mess. Ironically, we have all worked hard to get on top of this problem, and it's been much much better for several weeks.
But he saw red when he saw the two women sitting on his doorstep eating, so turned his hose on them, and when they protested - probably not too politely - he went at them with a baseball bat. Allegedly. When the female staff member intervened, he hit her hard on the arm too, and the manager, who managed to wrestle the weapon off him.
There were witnesses, too, including the commissioner of drug and alcohol services, who called the police.
Feelings in our building were running high...several people threatening reprisals. but we squashed that straight away. It certainly wouldn't help. We need only positive things coming out of our building. The manager laid it on the line to the guys today in an emergency residents' meeting. If the asb continues, we could be closed down. It's that serious.
Now everyone's waiting to see how the crimnal justice system deals with the angry man.
Wlaking down the hill, the manager and staff member saw two of our female residents being hosed down by a local member of the community. He lives near our building, and is not happy that we are here. He has suffered, like others in the area, antisocial behaviour from our guys, drinking, hanging around, empty cans and dog mess. Ironically, we have all worked hard to get on top of this problem, and it's been much much better for several weeks.
But he saw red when he saw the two women sitting on his doorstep eating, so turned his hose on them, and when they protested - probably not too politely - he went at them with a baseball bat. Allegedly. When the female staff member intervened, he hit her hard on the arm too, and the manager, who managed to wrestle the weapon off him.
There were witnesses, too, including the commissioner of drug and alcohol services, who called the police.
Feelings in our building were running high...several people threatening reprisals. but we squashed that straight away. It certainly wouldn't help. We need only positive things coming out of our building. The manager laid it on the line to the guys today in an emergency residents' meeting. If the asb continues, we could be closed down. It's that serious.
Now everyone's waiting to see how the crimnal justice system deals with the angry man.
...and another one
No wonder the average age at death of street homeless people is 42. Another of our ex residents, a young Polish girl, only 19, is dead. Reportedly, she died of a heroin overdose. Her boyfriend, a white English man, says another of our ex residents forcibly injected her, as she had refused heroin before. She was a big drinker, so his theory is that she was so drunk she didn't know what was happening to her.
Either way, another tragic waste.
Either way, another tragic waste.
Wednesday, 8 April 2009
Sad news
The police called to say that one of our residents was found dead behind some shops. He was only in his early 50s, so we had to keep his room untouched until after the post mortem, in case of foul play.
It was heart failure, probably not a lot anyone could do. But it makes you wonder, if he'd been in his room, would it still haev happened? Would he have had time to pull the red emergency cord? And coudl we have saved him? But anyway, at least he would have had some dignity.
We asked the commissioners, when the new project was planned, if we could open 24 hours. No was the answer. It's a very temporary project, don't want people to get oo comfortable.
Mmmm. I wonder.
It was heart failure, probably not a lot anyone could do. But it makes you wonder, if he'd been in his room, would it still haev happened? Would he have had time to pull the red emergency cord? And coudl we have saved him? But anyway, at least he would have had some dignity.
We asked the commissioners, when the new project was planned, if we could open 24 hours. No was the answer. It's a very temporary project, don't want people to get oo comfortable.
Mmmm. I wonder.
Saturday, 4 April 2009
Plus ca change...
Back at work after 2 weeks off. Lots of admin to catch up on, plus our organisation is so fast moving that I was right when I predicted 24-hour opening. It starts on Monday. The residents won't be allowed in their rooms all day, but activities will be on offer for those who want to take advantage of them. We've got football, walks, jobsearch, welfare benefits advice, arts and crafts....and I've offered to set up a weekly in-house newsletter, and show other staff how to do it. With a background in magazines, I've got lots of ideas.
The new manager started while I was off, really positive move. He's got bags of energy and ideas, and the right approach to people management. We're revising all our procedures and systems, and getting the manuals in place, too. As well as dealing with the day-to-day excitement created by 20 people with varying issues – and that's just the staff! Add 35 residents...
The partnership approach that we're all having to embrace has really come up trumps tackling the antisocial behaviour. It's proved an effective way to get moving, with the right senior people there to make things happen. A much-needed second wet unit for dependent drinkers will be opening soon, and the measures we've all put in place have squashed the worst excesses of shouting and bawling outside, litter (cans and dog poo), drinking groups, aggression and intimidation. It was probably just the first few days of fine weather encouraging the guys to sit outside with their mates and drink.
Lots of regulars still with us:
Mr Booze – who insists that other people are breaking into his room to urinate in his waste bin. Personally if I was going to break into anyone's room, it wouldn't be his.
Mr Personal Hygiene Problem – sees a psychiatrist every six months. The mental health services won't tell us anything about us without his consent. He thinks there's nothing wrong with him, so won't sign the consent. Stalemate.
Mr Just-A-Bit-Odd – we had to call the police to section him just before Christmas, as his weird behaviour was putting others at risk. He was taking the fuses out of plugs, and removing fire extinguishers, as well as saying odd things and wandering round without many clothes on. We'd been worried about him for ages, but the mental health services won't take anyone on board unless they are a danger to themselves or others. So – in a very unpleasant way – he was dragged off to a psychiatric ward. Because we can't refer him for assessment, only his GP can do it, our only options are through the police or A&E. So he's been there two months while they assess him. And they just discharged him back to the streets, because he didn't seem to have a diagnosable illness. In other words, he didn't tick their boxes. In their professional opinion, he's just a bit strange. Unquote. So what we've supposed to do with him if his strangeness gets serious again, I don't know. Mad is the only word for it. He's a lovely guy, that's the sadness.
Mr Complainer – he knows how to run hostels, and we're just useless. Any time he's refused what he wants, he complains at great length. I was a bit soft when I get back, and let him have a concession, but told him no more. So then when I refused him the next one, he gets all angry. Now he's going to put in a complaint against me to my chief exec. Again.
All part of the rich tapestry of life.
The new manager started while I was off, really positive move. He's got bags of energy and ideas, and the right approach to people management. We're revising all our procedures and systems, and getting the manuals in place, too. As well as dealing with the day-to-day excitement created by 20 people with varying issues – and that's just the staff! Add 35 residents...
The partnership approach that we're all having to embrace has really come up trumps tackling the antisocial behaviour. It's proved an effective way to get moving, with the right senior people there to make things happen. A much-needed second wet unit for dependent drinkers will be opening soon, and the measures we've all put in place have squashed the worst excesses of shouting and bawling outside, litter (cans and dog poo), drinking groups, aggression and intimidation. It was probably just the first few days of fine weather encouraging the guys to sit outside with their mates and drink.
Lots of regulars still with us:
Mr Booze – who insists that other people are breaking into his room to urinate in his waste bin. Personally if I was going to break into anyone's room, it wouldn't be his.
Mr Personal Hygiene Problem – sees a psychiatrist every six months. The mental health services won't tell us anything about us without his consent. He thinks there's nothing wrong with him, so won't sign the consent. Stalemate.
Mr Just-A-Bit-Odd – we had to call the police to section him just before Christmas, as his weird behaviour was putting others at risk. He was taking the fuses out of plugs, and removing fire extinguishers, as well as saying odd things and wandering round without many clothes on. We'd been worried about him for ages, but the mental health services won't take anyone on board unless they are a danger to themselves or others. So – in a very unpleasant way – he was dragged off to a psychiatric ward. Because we can't refer him for assessment, only his GP can do it, our only options are through the police or A&E. So he's been there two months while they assess him. And they just discharged him back to the streets, because he didn't seem to have a diagnosable illness. In other words, he didn't tick their boxes. In their professional opinion, he's just a bit strange. Unquote. So what we've supposed to do with him if his strangeness gets serious again, I don't know. Mad is the only word for it. He's a lovely guy, that's the sadness.
Mr Complainer – he knows how to run hostels, and we're just useless. Any time he's refused what he wants, he complains at great length. I was a bit soft when I get back, and let him have a concession, but told him no more. So then when I refused him the next one, he gets all angry. Now he's going to put in a complaint against me to my chief exec. Again.
All part of the rich tapestry of life.
Thursday, 19 March 2009
No room....
Oh, and just a thought...in the 28 days of February, we turned away 55 people, 47 men and 8 women, on 108 occasions.
Even though we now have two and half times the beds that we had before we moved in September.
Because we have severe weather provision, at least most will have had a billet on a chair or sofa at one of the hostels. But what happens when this ends on 31 March? Because I don't think everyone will just go away on 1 April.
It's easily the worst part of the job. We all hate it.
Even though we now have two and half times the beds that we had before we moved in September.
Because we have severe weather provision, at least most will have had a billet on a chair or sofa at one of the hostels. But what happens when this ends on 31 March? Because I don't think everyone will just go away on 1 April.
It's easily the worst part of the job. We all hate it.
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