Floating Support Service Manager, Graeme Browne, explains how his team is helping prevent youth homelessness in Southwark.
When I was a young boy, people always told me I’d never amount to anything and that always stuck with me. It hurt but it didn’t stop me. Today, I’m more determined than ever to help young people in difficult situations beat the odds and get on top. I’ll always advocate for people to take that step, try and do the best they can.
I’ve been with Depaul UK for just over three years, and I manage a team of four brilliant Progression Coaches and one amazing Peer Advice Progression Coach, each dedicated to supporting young people in the borough of Southwark. Those who need a little bit of extra support to access or keep affordable housing, apply for ID or Universal Credit, or simply get advice about training and education opportunities. And sometimes, we are just a listening ear when people are feeling low.
A lot of the young people we see (not all of them) are care-leavers, out in the big wide world for the first time, without the safety net of a family or, in some instances, the care system to fall back on. We need to be there for them when no one else is. To go through what they’ve been through, to feel as alone as they do, it’s really rewarding when you can show them that with hard work, resilience and determination, they can be whatever they want to be.
Between us we can take on up to 60 young people at a time, we check in with them at least once a week, and we’ll meet face-to-face every month for a year. All the young people we work with are at-risk in some way, and the aim is to support them to move in the right direction, so they don’t end up homeless and on the streets.
Some of them might be living in council properties, private rental or temporary accommodation. Most of these situations will be precarious and the young person won’t necessarily have the skills and knowledge to know how to manage their accommodation, what support they are entitled to, or even have the confidence to advocate for themselves when it matters (like raising repairs or discussing bills for example) – that’s where we can help them.
Many of the young people we see are so wrapped up in worry about keeping a roof over their head, they have absolutely no idea what they want to do with their lives. They know they need money but haven’t been able to think about how they could earn it. Or they might know about a college course they’d like to do, but don’t know how to apply and make it happen or even pay for the transport costs. We can help them think through what they need to do and how to get there. We can also put them in touch with our programmes team so they can apply for grants to cover costs or to find out about other opportunities to improve their chances of success.
Eddie, a young refugee, needed help to find suitable and safe housing and to understand his rights. He also started a college course in electrical engineering and needed a laptop to be able to work. We were able to make that happen – and we were so pleased for him when he passed the course with flying colours.
We’ve also been supporting Crystal, a care leaver training to be a teaching assistant. When she was first offered the position she couldn’t cover her travel costs, but we were there for her and able to provide a grant for her Oyster card, so she didn’t have to worry. We’ve also been able to guide her about her legal rights and what she is entitled to as a care leaver. Information she just didn’t know before but has been invaluable.
We’ll always ask the young person what they need, and we take a holistic approach to helping them achieve their aims, but it’s really important they recognise that they’re the ones in control. I like to think we’re a bit like guardian angels. We try to guide them onto the right path and help them make the right decision, but ultimately the decision has to come from them. That’s when we know we’re doing our job well.
Personally, it’s really rewarding to see their journey. When you meet a young person who is struggling and then over time you work with them, you get to know them and build their trust, you show up for them consistently, and then suddenly you can really start to see their progress, their wins and their confidence grow. That’s what makes me really happy. That’s why I do what I do.
