Floating Housing Support at Mid Sussex YMCA

Hi I'm Mark!

What Floating Support is all about?

Although it may seem exciting being a young person living on your own, it can be frustrating and confusing at times. Some people manage ok, but others get into difficulties. What ever your needs are, the project is here to make life easier for you.

The idea behind the Floating support, is to help you sustain your tenancy and to become empowered, so that life will improve and become less stressful. Everyone is an individual with individual needs; some people need a lot of support, whilst others do not. We are not here to patronise you but just to make life less complicated, by helping you to gain in confidence, get to know your rights, improve your life skills and get all you are entitled to. Not only is the project able to help with your problems, but we are here to listen to you and offer emotional support if things get too much.

At your first meeting with your support worker you will have a chat and complete some forms, to see what support you are going to need. You will have to complete a 'personal Development Plan', which asks basic questions that you answer on a scale of 1-5. These questions will be around housing, setting up home, life skills, budgeting, training, education, employment, health and emotional needs, family history and socialising and friends. Your support worker will read the questions to you; don't be put off by these, as the information collected is purely to help you. You will also have to sign a 'form of authority', so we can contact different organisations, on your behalf and complete a 'Needs and risk assessment form'; these are standard procedure, as we need to know whether there may be risks to yourself or to others.

After the first meeting you will meet your support worker on a regular basis, either in your home or perhaps a café, where you can talk about your week and any problems you may be having.

The sort of things your support worker can help with include:

• Tenancy information how to pay your rent and getting on with your landlord.
• Sorting out utilities and bills.
• Helping you get in touch with other agencies.
• Support with training, employment and education information and applications.
• Benefits information, sorting out claims
• Help and advice on independent living skills cooking, shopping.
• Provide Information on local resources and facilities e.g. mother and baby groups, Doctors and Dentists.
• Help to access Debt Advice Centres.
• Budgeting support.
• Accessing agencies to provide furniture and other vital household items.
  Emotional support.
• Support on general information.
  
• And much more!!!!!

You may not need help in all these areas, but what ever your issues do not feel afraid to ask. Remember, we are not here to judge you; we are just here to help.

Mark Dew