Who do we work with?
We work with adults and young people who face multiple disadvantage. They might experience or have experienced any combination of the following: homelessness, mental health issues, substance misuse, interactions with the criminal justice system and domestic violence. All have experienced trauma and require a coordinated approach from services to meet their needs.
Below are eight personas representative of the people we work with. We collated and combined the stories of many of our clients to create fictional people with very real stories.
These can be used to gain a greater understanding of our clients’ histories and experiences. They can also be used to assess how a new service or project would work for someone facing multiple disadvantage.
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Donna
Donna had a fairly typical childhood. She grew up in a nice neighbourhood with both her parents. But at 14, she was the victim of a sexual assault and her life slowly unravelled from there. She has experienced homelessness, domestic abuse and poor mental health.
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Trevor
Trevor has been sleeping rough for the best part of 30 years. He experienced abuse as a child and suffers from PTSD following his time in the army. He also suffers from a number of health issues due to his prolonged homelessness.
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Eliza
Eliza had a difficult and traumatic childhood. She came to the UK as an asylum seeker and after many years in the system, she has only recently been granted leave to remain. She has experienced racial abuse and domestic violence and suffers with her physical and mental health.
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Ahmed
Ahmed is a young person who is street savvy and enterprising but he suffers from attachment issues. He grew up in a volatile environment, surrounded by criminal activity until he and his siblings were removed and placed in foster care.
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Sarah
Sarah is autistic. She ran away from home when she was 15 and has been sofa surfing or living in hostels since. She’s experienced racial abuse and sexual exploitation. She needs support with her mental health and drug dependence.
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Patrick
Patrick was a young carer which had a big impact on his childhood and his education. He was groomed by older boys on his housing estate to run drugs. He is at high risk of attacks and needs support with his mental health, accommodation and employment skills.
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Chloe
Chloe grew up in temporary accommodation with her mother after escaping domestic abuse. She was groomed by drug gangs and finds it hard to break the cycle of abuse. She suffers from PTSD and depression and feels isolated.
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Sasha
Sasha had an accident at work and suffered life-altering injuries. He started drinking as a way to cope which eventually led to the breakdown of his marriage and accommodation. He has a complex immigration status which restricts his access to services.