Supporting people out of homelessness for good

We believe that by treating each person as an individual, through personalised support, we can address the root causes for each person’s experience of homelessness, and help support people out of homelessness for good. 

Why do we support people out of homelessness for good? 

At St Petrocs, we believe that everyone deserves a safe and secure place to call home. The experience of homelessness is complex, and can have a variety of short-term and long-term effects on a person’s life.

Health and Well-being:  

It is vital to support people out of homelessness for good, as the health and wellbeing implications can be life-changing, or even fatal

In 2022, Over half of the people surveyed by Homeless Link reported being diagnosed with a physical health condition after they experienced homelessness, including problems with muscles and bones.¹  

63% of people experiencing homelessness reported that they had a long term illness, disability or infirmity, compared to 22% of the general population, over triple the number.²

People experiencing homelessness have a shorter life expectancy. According to Crisis, the average age of death for people experiencing homelessness is 46 for men and 42 for women, compared to the general population of 74 for men and 80 for women.³ 

Breaking the Cycle 

Extended periods of homelessness increases the difficulty of escaping what can become a cycle. Sleeping rough can lead to complex needs, financial instability, mental health issues, and substance use which further entrenches people in the experience of homelessness. Barriers to stable housing and mistrust from past experiences can also continue this cycle.

It is what we believe 

At St Petrocs, we believe that everybody has the right to a place to call home. Together, we turn this belief into action and make a real difference in our community.

Last year, 80% of people who moved on positively from our accommodation have not returned to experiencing homelessness. This success underscores the effectiveness of our dedicated support and the meaningful, long-term change we aim to create.

How does St Petrocs support people out of homelessness for good? 

Supporting people out of homelessness for good is no easy task, as the experience is complex and multi-faceted. To address this, we have a client-led approach in each of our services - by including people in our processes, we can ensure that our decisions will lead to a successful outcome, by helping them to access suitable, desirable plans and support.

Here is a summary of how our services support people holistically:

Our Vocational Development Service Manager, Ben, shares more about the vital work of the Vocational Development Programme.... 

Our work involves supporting residents in our houses to build the confidence and independence needed to build a sustainable future, enabling them to successfully maintain their lives after moving on from St Petrocs.

"It’s great that we can give someone a roof over their head, but it is also important that anyone who comes in is able to leave better prepared for their time after St Petrocs and hopefully their experience of homelessness is as short a time as possible.”

What does the Vocational Development Programme do? 

“The end goal of the Vocational Development Programme is to help people to gain skills, confidence and seek employment.

"The programme is totally holistic - when someone comes through the doors of Truro Resource Centre and is sleeping in a tent or is struggling with their mental health, the idea of being in a position to be able to work may be a million miles away."

We talk to each resident individually to identify their long-term goals. From this, we will then identify and work on short-term goals to ensure they can get to where they want to go in a way that is manageable and sustainable. 

Experiencing homelessness can be incredibly isolating, and many people haven’t had good experiences or relationships with people and can be very wary, so we invite our clients to our events to build confidence, build relationships of trust and help them engage with others, and motivate them to feel able to get out into the community once more.

When people feel they are ready to talk about their future, we take a strengths-based approach and discuss what they are good at and what they enjoy. It is very important that our residents understand that they do not have to take the first job that comes to them, and that they are worthy of any job that they want. They might have to work hard to get there, but they have options, like anyone else. That is the hard cornerstone of sustainability - you can get any job, but six months down the line, are you happy, are you fulfilled? It is important for all people to live and be happy. People are not necessarily going to get their dream job straight away, and it may be the case that they do something else in the meantime that may not be a long term career goal but it is a means to an end. It is not a case of “let’s get you a job”.

"We take the approach of “What do you enjoy? What are you most happy doing? What are you good at? Where do you see yourself in 5 years?”"

Why is it important for the Vocational Development Programme to support people after they move on from our services, through floating support? 

"Sometimes I think that moving on is one of the hardest times for people who have been homeless or living in our accommodation for a while following the experience of homelessness."

"There are so many other things that need to be taken into consideration that can be taken for granted. For example, some people won’t have had to manage their own finances before, such as paying council tax or bills. They may not have done a lot of grocery shopping in the past, so we work with individuals that are moving out to get them ready for that and for living independently to ensure that they have the best possible chance of success and of sustaining their independence. When people move on, we’ll provide floating support for as long as they want it or need it. We can help with whatever anyone needs. That can include support with finances, employment and taking on new challenges - it might be how to handle an unexpected bill, find clothes for a job interview, or general advice for living independently."

What kind of jobs have people got after receiving support? 

“A lot of people try to give something back following their experiences. They appreciate the help that they’ve had so if they get a job giving back again, they find it really fulfilling. Roles in the NHS, counselling – these are roles which benefit from people who can use their experience to help others.”