As a student on placement at Beacon House, I was excited to work with this group of people and gain a deeper knowledge of what is missing from their lives.
Very quickly I realised that what the public thinks is needed is very different to what is actually needed.
The service users are coming for a shower and a meal but also advice, help with budgeting, referrals to other services and just a friendly ear.
I`ve been lucky enough to have been included in several initial interviews of new service users and can see that there is a broad range of people who use this service and that the variety of people is reflected in the range of services we provide. It`s great to see them happy and laughing and it`s just as wonderful to provide a listening ear in a crisis.