Luke has been known to homeless services for over 10 years and says he has been homelessness on-and-off since he was 16. Thames Reach’s London Street Rescue has been working with Luke since 2009 before which he had contact with a number of homeless services.

Luke is a binge drinker which makes him challenging to work with, particularly for residential services. He is intelligent, self aware and very insightful when he is sober but drinks heavily around pay days. This is compounded by complex emotional problems and a high dependence upon support.

London Street Rescue has helped Luke has access multiple accommodation options in various London boroughs but most fail because Luke abandons them after relatively short periods of time. Therefore, we have tailored a support plan for Luke based on what he wants most right now and how he likes his support to be delivered. Short term realistic goals have been agreed with Luke and accommodation options explored based on where he wants to be. Monthly case meetings are convened to co-ordinate his support across different agencies and Luke is an active voice in these. Thresholds for engagement are raised or lowered depending on how Luke feels, but the door is always open and he no longer feels anxious that support will be withdrawn. This is supported with informal weekly meetings on Luke’s terms.

Using this approach has helped Luke stay housed for five consecutive months enabling him to access regular counselling services, access a volunteering programme at a daycentre, develop his creative writing skills and build positive and supportive relationships and get much needed physical health advice.

Photography posed by a model.