DDN Magazine March 2023 DDN March_2023 | Page 20

DO THE

RIGHT

THING

There are set principles that anyone working with people with complex needs should adhere to , say Dr Stephen Donaldson , Ben Sweeting , Richard Croall and Edward Loveless

Multiple disadvantage is a term used to describe people who have experienced or are experiencing multiple difficulties , including repeat street homelessness , trauma , substance misuse , physical health difficulties and mental health problems . These challenges often – and understandably – impact on people ’ s engagement with services , psychological wellbeing , physical safety , and sense of connection with society . People faced with these challenges regularly fall between the gaps of services and , over time , hope and trust in others can be lost . This can lead to people feeling trapped in a cycle of wanting help , not asking for help or asking in ways that communicate their distress through behaviours which are harder for some to understand .

The REACH ( Reducing Exclusion for Adults with Complex Housing Needs ) team was set up to work with those who are street homeless and experiencing mental health difficulties and substance misuse in Scarborough and Whitby .
The team takes a partnership approach with multiple service partners coming together to support the person in their journey of recovery . Our vision is to support people to have housing stability , through a
Housing First model . But while having a home is important , it ’ s only the tip of the iceberg . Given the multiple disadvantages experienced , working with people to help them manage addiction , trauma , and their mental health difficulties is key to stability and change . Everyone deserves to have a life worth living , but this can be a long and bumpy road to travel .
As part of our developing work in the area , we ’ ve been reflecting on some of the shared principles we hold to guide what we do , with the hope of developing practicebased evidence in this area .
PRINCIPLES OF WORKING We developed a set of guiding principles to support the interventions and work we do .
1 . MEET THE PERSON WHERE THEY ARE AT This principle , given the repeat homelessness experienced by this client group , is both physical – in terms of being present with people on the street – and psychological , in terms of acknowledging that traditional approaches to assessment , formulation , safety planning , care planning and intervention all need adapting to support the person . It ’ s also important to think about the reality of the person ’ s position and ensure that goals and expectations around engagement are realistic and don ’ t set people up to fail , preventing a further cycle of service
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20 • DRINK AND DRUGS NEWS • MARCH 2023
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