After contacting a service user whom we had not seen for a couple of weeks, we were informed that they had had no heating or hot water for three months (the weather was very cold at the time). The service user was in bed trying to stay warm and had given up. We encouraged the service user to visit the Winter Wellbeing Café; they had symptoms of hypothermia and a severe chest infection. A hot meal and clothing were given and emergency heating was requested and provided from Care and Repair.
Over the next couple of weeks a referral was made to the Green Doctor and the service user engaged with them to insulate the home. A new boiler was eventually acquired from the utility provider at no cost to the service user. We also encouraged engagement with the GP to help manage a severe chest infection and other health issues.
The service user engages with the Plan to Change Group (alcohol dependency) peer support group and now has a referral to Forward Leeds to manage their alcohol dependency.
Poem from service user Glenn (Plan 2 Change)
Ode to the Man
A man sits alone on a bench, bottle in hand.
People walk by they don’t understand.
Nobody knows his life or what he’s been through.
Oh if we only knew.
Maybe once a great soldier, we can only guess.
Please don’t judge him, sometimes more is less.
So let us say a silent prayer.
And love the man who’s always there.
Service user feedback
“They have helped me across the field to the gate… I am at the gate and I am ready to go through now.”
