How we broke down barriers to support a vulnerable customer
We had concerns about one of our customers, ‘Stuart’*, following reports that his home had been broken into. Because Stuart didn’t have a phone and was usually out when we visited for appointments, we struggled to get in touch to offer support.
To make contact with Stuart, we had to think outside the box. We reached out to places we knew he went to and visited his home at various times to try to meet with him. Eventually, we reached Stuart and began to build a rapport. It was tricky, as Stuart still found it difficult to keep appointments, but we persevered, established regular contact, and finally gained access to his home.
Once inside, we found that Stuart was struggling with hoarding, had no working toilet or sink, and that his front door wasn’t secure following the break-in. We made a safeguarding referral and worked in partnership with a number of other agencies to begin providing the support Stuart needed.
With better communication in place, we successfully completed a fire safety visit, replaced the front door with a secure fire door, repaired the sink and toilet, and de-cluttered Stuart’s home using a hardship grant. Having built a good relationship with Stuart and developed a strong understanding of his needs, we’re continuing to provide long-term support.
*We've changed our customer's name to protect their privacy.