George, with the keys to their new flat in their hand, is ready to leave St. Martins, describing the moving out process as “like a whirlwind”. Their support worker is positive about their future “It’s not an easy ride for anyone. If there should be a blip in the future, George has the tools to deal with it”.
Yet eight months ago, neither had been involved in St. Martins. George moved to St Martins Magdalen Road project in February and their support worker joined just two weeks into lockdown, having previously been a probation officer in London for 20 years.
George has suffered from poor mental health since they were 18 and had found themselves sleeping rough; opening up the warehouse where they worked managing a team at 5 am, and washing there. “All that can be lost overnight” they reflect. During this time, they were also battling a Class A drug addiction and they had started to borrow money for heroin, and in doing so, lost their authority leading them to resign.
Despite being written off by so many people, George never wrote themselves off, instead turning to St. Martins. ”Taking that first step is a very difficult thing to do. It is very easy to get put off” adding, “St. Martins is my safety net”.
Upon arriving at St. Martins, George once again struggled with their mental health. “I used to hole up in my room. I stayed in my bedroom and didn’t interact with anyone” but by starting to work with other residents in the house to clear the garden, George began to take pride in their environment, the first step towards helping themselves.
Initially, his support worker knew George as bright, bubbly and outgoing and encouraged all the residents to contribute to the house and the running of the project. However, soon they noticed a sharp decline in his mental health and raised concerns with the mental health team. It transpired they had stopped taking their medication.
“I was not taking care of my appearance. All the signs were there that I was on the wrong trajectory” turning to this support worker “I am so grateful that you noticed”.
George was sectioned for five weeks in a hospital in Kings Lynn, keen upon their return to St. Martins to keep on a positive path. George started doing more around the house and took part in the shared activities, including shopping for the summer BBQ, quiz days and cooking with donated food from The Pantry.
With his support worker’s help, George drew up a recovery plan- including all skills that would serve them well for when they moved into their own accommodation. “The goal of being here is not to be here” George says, having always seen Magdalen Road as a stepping stone. When they both felt George was ready, his support worker started helping them move on, both practically and mentally. George remains grateful for the financial assistance they have received- a grant from the Norwich Assistance Scheme and a £125 decorating grant from the council to spend at B&Q.
Reflecting on the past eight months, George recognises how important his support worker has been to their successful time with St. Martins “The time, effort and energy you have invested in me has brought about the positive results of recovery.”
For George, it has not just been about helping themselves. During their time with St. Martins, George has been training to be a peer mentor with Together (NICHHS Team). “I would like to give back”, and they will be. From the end of October, George will be supporting others who have found themselves in a similar situation to them on their path to recovery.