During Jamie’s* two-year stay at Mawle Court in Banbury the Homeless Oxfordshire support team helped him overcome anger and financial issues. Here he describes the experience and what it has meant to him and his family.
Read more about Jamie and other residents’ stories in our latest impact report.
“I was so angry when I moved into Mawle Court. I had to move out of my previous property where I could have my kids to stay, to a one-bedroom flat where children weren’t allowed on site.
It felt so unfair and I realise now that I took my anger out on anyone and everyone – particularly the staff. I didn’t really want to engage with them or listen to what they had to say. For a whole year I would get into arguments with other residents, avoid my keywork sessions and I got into arrears with my service charge.
The team at Mawle Court were persistent in trying to get me to engage. Eventually I realised they were on my side and I gradually learned to trust them. I would agree to their suggestions and support, but I was still so frustrated at not being able to see my kids on a regular basis that I didn’t really act on any of it. I suppose at that point I was just engaging on a surface level, and I was still in arrears.
I started asking staff how and when I would be able to move on to another property where I could have my children to stay. The team explained to me that we couldn’t begin the process until I’d engaged properly with my keywork sessions and paid off my arrears.
This gave me the motivation I needed to start making some changes. The team wanted me to succeed in my goal and they worked with me to overcome my anger issues, finding new ways to approach frustrations and disagreements.
I paid off all my owing service charge, and quite soon after beginning the housing application process my case was prioritised as Band 2, meaning my housing need was seen as urgent.
But the process still took a really long time and it was really hard to cope with the delay. A year before I would have let the rage take over but I have changed a lot and I was able to handle my frustration in a more productive way.
With the support of my support worker I was also able to come up with a savings plan so I could save money for a deposit and some furniture ready for my new property.
After staying there for two years I moved out of Mawle Court into my new home. I feel like I’ve changed as a person and I feel so proud to be able to provide a home where my children can come and stay so we can spend more time together.”
*Jamie’s story is based on the real experiences of one of our residents, but his name and image have been changed to protect his identity.
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