Joe

Joe lost his parents when he was 9 years old and was taken into care, where he suffered years of neglect and abuse at the hands of his foster carers. These traumatic experiences shaped his life, making him untrusting of anyone in authority.

Years later, when Joe lost his job in IT and was evicted from his flat for non-payment of rent, the trauma came flooding back. Not knowing where to access support or who to trust, he ended up sleeping rough in a car park, where he was eventually found by our Nottingham street outreach team.

Over time our social worker Oli and other team members worked to build trust with Joe, encouraging him to keep in touch. Joe liked going to the local library to access the internet so Oli would often search for him there. Oli spent time with Joe developing their relationship, gradually encouraging Joe to engage with support services.

When the pandemic hit, Joe agreed to go into a local hotel and Oli bought him a tablet so he could continue to access the internet and keep in touch with the team. Eventually the outreach team found him his own accommodation.

Helping Joe access appropriate medical care revealed that he had developed serious health issues during the months spent sleeping rough. Following an operation he is now settling into his home and enjoys browsing the internet on his tablet.

Oli and the team keep in touch and will continue supporting Joe, equipping him with the skills he needs to maintain his tenancy, find a job and build a better life.

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