‘C’ Story

‘C’ has been on and off rough sleeping in a tucked away site in the city for nearly two years and has struggled with poor mental health. As a result, she has been very withdrawn from services, found it difficult to build trusting relationships and found shared accommodation challenging. C was one of the first people to come to the Haven and has become a frequent user of the service, enabling her to build good relationships with staff members at the project. As a result, she was invited to visit Crossways before the opening date and given the opportunity to choose a room that she would feel comfortable in. She accepted the offer and staff have worked hard to ensure that her specific dietary requirements were met and she has continued to engage with the Haven and other women’s services. While it’s not been an easy journey and she has limited accommodation options, she has retained her accommodation at Crossways for 3 months over the winter. She has now accepted an invitation to move to a room in a quiet, female-only Christian environment which meets her very specific needs. The Haven has been instrumental in building a good relationship between C and support staff who are able to work with her to find long-term solutions.