Since lockdown our support team has been providing support over the phone to people experiencing homelessness. We've now made our office COVID19 secure, this week we have been able to reopen our support office to offer face to face support. 

While on outreach our support team have spoken to rough sleepers they’ve met and have booked in appointments for a meeting at our office to discuss and build plans to help these people get off the streets.  For the time being these are still limited in number, as we ease back into COVID19 secure  working, our support team have found it really energising see people face to face again. As a part of COVID19 secure working our guests are given masks and hand washing facilities/sanitiser as they come in, our support desks are spaced apart and our support workers sit behind Perspex screens.

Barnabus isn’t the only charity and project to have had massive changes in the way we work; our support team have been busy visiting different projects in Manchester as they prepare to reopen too. It is vital to a person’s success in moving away from the streets that they are referred to the correct accommodation and care services, this comes through good working relationships with these projects, understanding what they offer and their criteria for accessing this support. As we worked together through the difficulties of the lockdown we have developed stronger partnerships throughout the sector which will result in better futures for the people we all help.

This week one of our support workers, Jenna, visited an individual who had been housed in temporary accommodation earlier this year and when the lockdown came into effect he was able to stay there.  Now that lockdown has lifted, Jenna has been asked to help him move on to more suitable accommodation.  Jenna enjoyed being able to see our friend for the first time in months and see how he has done well in accommodation.  They were able to touch base again and talk about his long term plan and what they can do together with us to get him where he wants to be.

We are encouraged by support reopening this month, being able to welcome our friends back into our premises has reminded us all why we have been working so hard in the last month and very soon we will be opening the Beacon too. Thank you for your faith and support through these difficult months allowing us to reopen and continue supporting and empowering people experiencing homelessness in Manchester.