Continuing to support Wakefield’s vulnerable

TURNING Lives Around is delighted to have retained the contracts to provide housing support services for vulnerable people in Wakefield.

As a West Yorkshire charity working to prevent homelessness amongst vulnerable disadvantaged individuals and families, we have been delivering Wakefield Council’s Housing Sustainment Pathway, Sustain, since 2018 and, in 2023, took over Woodside, Wakefield’s supported housing service for people with mental health needs, which had been at risk of closure.

Sustain works with up to 175 single people and couples, plus 60 families, who are at risk of homelessness, across the Wakefield district at any one time. Their team of experienced support workers provide assistance related to housing need which is putting existing homes at risk.

Working with service users, they carry out risk assessments and put together support plans aimed at preventing homelessness and targeting other areas such as employment, training, education and social networks to boost their ability to live independently without support.

Woodside provides recovery focused supported housing for adults with mental ill health who are homeless. The service has 12 self-contained flats where clients can live while learning how to manage their own accommodation and reintegrate into independent living and the wider community.

Staffed 24/7 by specialist Recovery Workers, Woodside enables clients to develop independent living and budgeting skills, plus apply for their own tenancy, while also preparing and applying for training or employment opportunities, as part of establishing roadmaps for their recovery and for the future.

Steve Hoey, Chief Executive of TLA said he was pleased that Wakefield Council has re-awarded the charity the contracts for these important and valued services and that the teams delivering them can continue their great work for at least another two years.

“This is brilliant news for TLA, plus Sustain and Woodside colleagues and service users. We are very proud to have received Quality Scores of more than 90% for our delivery of both these services so far and look forward to continuing this level of support and care for the foreseeable future.”

He added: “Homelessness is on the increase across the UK and Wakefield is no different. Services like Sustain and Woodside which aim to prevent homelessness amongst vulnerable individuals and families, have an important part to play in stemming and hopefully breaking the cycle of homelessness that so many who are disadvantaged fall into.

“We are delighted to be carrying on this valuable task for Wakefield Council and are pleased that the local authority is funding these services at a realistic, appropriate level to safeguard their continuation for the coming years.”

Caption: Sustain colleagues and service users with the obelisk they created as part of an art project capturing life in a local coalmining community.