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Press Release |
Ref: PRCP007 Date: 22nd July, 2020
Shropshire team shortlisted for Housing Heroes Award
A team providing life-changing support for vulnerable people in Shropshire has been shortlisted for a national award. The Shrewsbury-based floating support team in Care Plus has made it through to the finals of the Support & Care Team of the Year title in the Housing Heroes Awards.
The floating support team supports tenants of Severnside Housing and other local residents who need help to manage their lives or who are risk of homelessness. Last year it helped almost 700 people who were homeless or worried about losing their home. The team works with other local organisations as part of the Sustain Consortium providing similar services across the county.
There is more to being homeless than having nowhere to live. Anxiety caused by homelessness meant thatCatherineeven found it hard to speak: "I was homeless for nearly a year, sleeping on the streets. The floating support team gave me the confidence to turn my life around and helped me find my voice. I'm renting a home now and it feels as though I'm finally taking my place in the world."
Alcohol and drug dependency ledPaulainto debt and meant that she was facing the possibility of losing her home: "My doctor put me in touch with the floating support team. I was really nervous about talking to my support worker about the mess I'd made of my life.
"I spent the first two meetings crying but then I realised this was an opportunity to do something positive, to get some control over my life before it was too late. I'm secure in my home now and that stability is really important. From there, I can work on everything else."
There are countless situations where the floating support team can get involved. Along with partners in the Sustain Consortium, its members work in situations where other services often don't reach.
Donald and Sylviahave learning difficulties. A hoarding crisis put their tenancy at risk: "We had a charity shop habit that got out of hand. We used to go most days and buy soft toys, dolls, clothes, all sorts of things. Our support worker was brilliant. She helped us go through everything, one room at a time. It was three or four weeks before we finished.
"It feels good to have got rid of it all; it's like a fresh start. When we go out now, it's nice to come home."
Les Clarke is executive director of care and support at Housing Plus Group, whose members include Severnside Housing and Care Plus. He said that he was delighted to hear that the local team has come to national attention: "The members of this team do great work, often in difficult circumstances. They've kept that support going during the pandemic, checking-in with vulnerable customers and providing help and advice by telephone. Our Group is here to make a positive difference and I'm very proud that a team making such a huge difference to people and communities, has received such well-deserved recognition."
The Housing Heroes awards celebrate the unsung heroes of the social housing sector. This year's winners will be announced in a virtual ceremony on 3 September.
Caption:
The Care Plus floating support team, one of the finalists for the Support & Care Team of the Year prize in the Housing Heroes Awards.
ENDS
Background for editors
Care Plus specialises in housing and support for older people and those with physical or learning difficulties. It manages 53 retirement living communities across Staffordshire and Shropshire and provides domiciliary care helping people to live independently with support, in their own homes.
The personal care service delivered by Care Plus has been assessed as Good in all areas by the Care Quality Commission.
Care Plus is registered as a Charitable Community Benefit Society and is part of Housing Plus Group, a leading provider of quality, affordable homes and care services that customers can trust across Shropshire and Staffordshire. Housing Plus Group members also include South Staffordshire Housing Association, Severnside Housing, Stafford and Rural Homes and Severn Homes.
Housing Plus Group is addressing the housing crisis by starting to build 2,000 new homes for rent, shared ownership and outright sale by 2023. The Group has pledged to deliver one-third more hours of care and support for older people in their own homes and to create apprenticeship opportunities for 100 people in the Group and its supply chain within five years.
Its members are inspired by the CLARITY values which are the foundations of its work: Communication, Learning, Accountable, Respectful, Inclusive, Trust and YOU.
Further information
Mara Hargreaves
Head of marketing and communications
m:07800 619 863
e:mara.hargreaves@housingplusgroup.co.uk
Clare Chick
Marketing and communications officer
m: 07950 254 279
e:clare.chick@housingplusgroup.co.uk
Martin Farrow
CHANGEWORKS Communications
t: + 44 (0) 1785 247588
m: +44 (0)7771 970025
e:mfarrow@changeworkscom.co.uk