Liverpool YMCA

S presented well at interview, he was open about his drug and alcohol problems and honest when asked why he had been asked to leave rehab. Initailly there were concerns that the YMCA might not be a positive environment for S due to the drink and drug culture associated with the hostel environment. Despite these reervations S was offered accommodation and he moved in two days after the initial interview.

During his first support session S acknowledged that his primary support needs were to continue addressing his substance misuse and to find permanant accommodation. S has two children and was keen to keep up his access, with a view to sharing parental responsibility once he had his own tenancy.

S knew that both habit and boredom where key factors for his substance misuse, due to this his support worker was keen to get S involved with external services so his time could be spent more productively. He was linked in with both the Lighthouse project were he began an EST and the Spider project. To begin with S engaged well with both on a regular basis and he said he found both beneficial.

During his first few weeks at the YMCA, S struggled mainly with his alcohol problem and did relapse on several occassions. Appointments were made at CIC on several occasions but S failed to attend. Only once his health started to deteriorate as a consequence of his drinking, did S finally manage to abstain. However he then replaced his drinking with once again "dabbling" in class A drugs.

He stopped attending the Lighthouse and Spider projects, as he felt they were not serving any purpose.

For the next six months, S continued to "dabble" with class A's, missed his appointments and aquired significant rent arrears. By this point hew was selling the Big Issue and was receiving additional support from one of their support workers.

Christmas was a particularly bad time for S, made worse by the fact that his ex-partner stopped his access to his children and S fell into a cycle of selling the Big Issue to fund his increasing dependancy on drugs. During this time he saw his support worker sparodically, warnings were issued and for a while it looked as though S was in self-destruct mode.

In January S was referred to the pilot scheme Move on Move up run by Adullam Housing and Whitechapel. This scheme aims to provide people like S with their own accommodation and up to 3 months floating support, S was assigned a project worker who assessed his eligibility.

At first S's application was rejected by the panel due to concerns regarding his drug usage.

An appeal proceeded with letters of support from the YMCA and the Big Issue supporting S's determination to become drug free, this was successful and this enabled S a new focus on life and to reconsider his choice of lifestyle. Instead of selling the Big Issue to fund his drug habit, he sold it to pay off his rent arrears and save for his life after the YMCA.

S then arranged to spend a week at his mum's house in London to detox and returned to the YMCA determined to remain drug free and to try to re-establish contact with his children, during this time he distanced himself from the individuals he had associated with when using drugs. In the following months S remained drug free, had a positive outlook for the future and began attend Alternatives on a regular basis.

S has now moved into his own property in Anfield and despite some initial setbacks S's move was a positive one and he left the YMCA looking forward to his future.