Six services you didn’t know we offer (Part 2)
In the second part of our support blog, we’re getting up close and personal with six of our key services to share how we might be able to make your life a bit easier.
Before I started working in housing I’ll admit, I assumed associations literally just got people in a home and then that was that. I had no idea they also offer advice on things like healthy eating, mental health issues and life skills.
Well, that just shows what I know, because that’s literally only the half of what Onward does. This month we’ve been showcasing some of the ways we support customers and practice our core value of ‘service’.
In part one of the blog we looked at aids and adaptations, independent living and our homelessness support.
This week, we’re taking a closer look at our May Logan health and wellbeing centre, our Outside the Box hoarding initiative and our 1st Call drop-in centre, and the impact they all have on our customers’ lives.
Healthy living
When you hear the words ‘health and wellbeing centre’ you might expect to walk into someone doing Bikram yoga on a pile of quinoa. That’s not how we do things at May Logan.
The centre looks at things like healthy eating, exercise and mental health, which might seem quite basic but all have a huge impact on your day-to-day life and happiness – and are surprisingly hard to master, if the fact I once ate a frozen chicken kiev proves anything.
Sometimes you just need a bit of support on how to approach these areas in a way that works for you, whether that involves your ability to do the downward-facing dog pose or not.
Nestled in the heart of the Bootle area of South Sefton, the May Logan Healthy Living Centre offers support on these vital, but frustratingly tough to nail, areas.
What’s particularly great is that it brings accessible support to some of the people who need it most, in the areas they actually live in.
One customer said:
“I’m now more confident and I know how to lose weight and have a healthy lifestyle. I’ve lost two stone and I’m enjoying my healthy life. I was too anxious to meet people but I went to yoga classes on my own and I’m really proud of me. I’m so glad I went to May Logan to get support and guidance.”
Help with hoarding
Hoarding might only recently have been classed as a mental health disorder but our award-winning hoarding support project, Outside the Box, was way ahead of the curve.
It’s been using Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) as a solid foundation to help people manage their hoarding and has been absolutely life changing for some people who were really struggling before.
Our fab team works with the NHS and Fire and Rescue Service to put our customers at the heart of what they’re doing, helping make their lives safer and happier.
Outside the Box acknowledges that it can seem overwhelming to take that first step so tailors the help to work at the right pace for our customer.
Vicky is an Onward customer who’s been supported by the hoarding team, as well as other specialists across the business.
She said: “It was a mess here for a very long time. I needed help to get it back to normal. I couldn’t get up my stairs properly – it was all blocked off. I was climbing over my settee.
“I moved into short term accommodation so they could give my house a good clear and I loved it when I saw it. Now it’s so nice and clean – I can have a nice relaxing bath and move around in my own house. I feel great and happy – I’m proud of it.”
If you, or a loved one, feels overwhelmed by the possessions in your home and could do with a bit of a helping hand, you can find out more in our blogs and make a self-referral to our Hoarding service by contacting our team.
Life admin
Last but not least, 1st Call is our drop-in centre based in the Arndale Centre in Accrington.
It provides all sorts of different services, from benefits and employment support to financial and budgeting advice and help with homelessness.
For example, in one day the team helped:
1. A customer that needed help typing up a document for a deadline. They said they were ‘extremely grateful and couldn’t have managed without this help’, at a time when there was ‘nowhere else willing to help them’.
2. A couple that came for help to claim Council Tax, which the team found could also claim Carer’s Allowance. The couple said they were overwhelmed with the friendliness of staff at 1st Call and astonished they had missed claiming Carer’s Allowance. They said the extra money will make a massive difference to their finances.
3. A man suffering from anxiety and panic attacks, who needed help with a benefit form. As he was leaving he said it had taken him two weeks to buck up the courage to call in and now he couldn’t understand why he gotten himself in such a state.
Hopefully there’s something here that can help you, but these six key specialist services aren’t even all of the areas we offer help with. For example, if you’re struggling with antisocial behaviour in your neighbourhood, you can get some support too.
So, get in touch and see how we can help you today.
For more information on the support and services we offer, take a look at our website or contact us
