One shocking case hints at how many more?
Imagine this… that people without a home, struggling with addiction, and feeling disconnected are offered immediate and flexible work opportunities. And that this moves into tailored support plans for health and housing, leading to further progress towards stability and self-sufficiency. Such an action plan might seem as far away as the moon for many people – but through exchanging ideas and joining forces, such initiatives are taking place in France, Spain and elsewhere (p6). So why not here?
If evidence were needed that housing has to be more than just shelter, you will find it on page 10. One sad and shocking case hints at how many more, where an organisation’s policy completely mismatches need?
Another big question in this issue is the missing evidence of spending on family and carer support (p8). Are some local authorities really allocating nothing at all? And while we have contributions to energise and inspire, we must also ask – have we actually got the power dynamic right with people using our services (18)? Finally, turning the mirror on ourselves (p24), are we a happy and functional workforce or victims of chronic underinvestment? Let us know!
Read the April issue as an online magazine (you can also download it as a PDF from the online magazine)
Claire Brown, editor