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Outcomes. That’s what everyone wants to know about. How effective is the work we are doing?
This is the time of year to leave aside the metrics and consider the human impact of what we do – how charities like Framework change and save lives.
In the autumn we met Terry who has slept rough for decades, been supported by our street outreach teams and been in and out of a variety of hostels and other accommodation over the years.
More recently, with funding from the government’s Rough Sleeping Initiative and Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme, Terry has been supported by our Housing First team. As a result he now has a stable home and continued intensive support as and when he needs it from our Nottinghamshire Prevention and Resettlement Service to ensure he is able to continue living independently.
Terry kindly agreed to tell his story on video and to reflect on the change in his circumstances:
“I’ve been through hell. I’ve had so many years of being let down that I reached the point where I’d all but given up but I was alright because I had people looking after me.
“My situation has changed so dramatically. I’m one out of thousands of people who just got lucky. After a lot of years of struggling I’ve got a home for life. I’ve got a future – I never had of a future; I’ve not had much of a life really.”
His story has moved many people. In the season of “good will to all men” and at a time when so many are facing overwhelming difficulty in making ends meet, let alone enjoying Christmas, Terry gives us a powerful reminder that our common humanity requires us simply to care for one another.
Watch Terry’s full interview here.
