• John%20for%20DePaul%20Pathfinder%20PVM%20with%20Consent.mp3

John talks about his experiences of accessing the Pathfinder / DePaul programme around youth homelessness prevention and how he has found the support.

Yeah. Oh, hi there. Is that John? Hi, John. It's Rachel here

I don't know if you spoke to, uh, under this morning and he mentioned that I could give you a call to chat about the Pathfinder programme. Yeah, I support. Is that all right? Okay, that's fine

No worries. I wasn't sure if you have credit to come back to me, So I thought I'd give you a call. I'm just shut down a minute so I can talk

That's great. Thanks so much, John. Really appreciate your time

Um, so, yeah, basically, we were just trying to gather some stories from people as to like, your experience of the Pathfinder programme. What's been your experience if they pull Pathfinder programme? Uh, well, to be honest, I'm not really I'm not being They don't Don't You know, I've only seen I've only seen on them twice. Yeah, and one of the times was was just to I needed that

See, Basically you saw I mean, solicitor, right? Like, it's been very, very helpful, This man out and you know, I mean, we're not really doing much in regards to my accommodation wise, you know, finding somewhere to live not really done much on that, but I've got a lot of stuff going on in my life at the minute we've been dealing with that first, You know what I mean? My finances and stuff like that. But to be honest, he shot me. Hopefully, it's been because the first time I met him and I told him I was in court and he found out that I didn't have a solicitor within an hour, a solicitor group run and said that he'd eat sports someone that citizens advice important

And they had referred me to them. So? So I can't I really can't follow him. And he's even He he even paid for my gym membership

Well, actually, my first move. That's amazing. So yeah, like I really can't fault him

He's down to us. You know what I mean? I speak to him and, you know, I don't know. You probably won't know, But when you speak to official people, yeah, there

I don't know if you look down the North sometimes you know what I mean. It's obviously it's a bit patronising sometimes when you speak to someone and then looking down at you. But I really have been very helpful

I've asked many That's amazing. So how is that? How is that relationship made? You feel like, you know, um, to be honest, it's nice to like because Because I've been I've been registered home with me since I was 16 and I've been on the homeless register since then, And I've never once had someone from the council do for me what he's done to you know what I mean? It's nice to have to have that, to be honest, you know what I mean? Because I'm 21 now, So I'm I'm an adult. You know what I mean? Because I've never been short

Certain things, you know, what I mean is the ultimate a lot more like I want to show you the way Not, like, tell you the way, if that makes sense. Definitely does. Yeah

It's very different, isn't it? Like actually, just having that option to be like these are these are places to go for help. Is that what you mean? Yeah, I've always been under the impression. Yeah, all the people that the government and clearly I was wrong

You know what I mean? Because he's ultimately What kind of what kind of things has he talked to you about or like, put you to work towards, To be honest, really is just It's just more like, you know, like when I've got worries about certain things, I'll give him a text or I didn't bring me you know what I mean and ring me. If I've got something on my mind, I'll mention it like I was a bit worried because I I order I was in a bit of depth of a banking. Yeah, it was a bit worried about that sport to about like he's he's made me see like it's not much of a big deal, you know what I mean? Like, it's actually not

I thought it was. It was. If that makes sense, it's just like it's nice to have someone who can advise you on stuff like that actually knows what they're talking about because it can feel scary, like, you know, when you get a letter or when you get somebody

I'm not really like an anxious personally, but with bills and stuff like that, I am because I don't really have much income at the minute. I'm hopefully going in the Army, but at the minute, like because I've not got much income, it doesn't get me a bit anxious, you know what I mean? But as soon as I spoke to him, just like said, you know what I mean. He's like basically I had a bit of a debt with my bunk and I thought he sent me a letter saying somewhat about

I owed him this much, and I thought it was a lot more than what he said on the letter. It's basically it's not what you would like to say. It's just hopeful you like you don't with the guy he's meant he actually has

And how did you find out about Alan or how did you meet him at the job centre? What it was I went through, I went because I've recently moved from Darwin's Bolton because I lost my job and what not So when I registered for the Universal Credit my first appointment, Um, they asked me about my living circumstances and that, and I told him I was formed, so they referred me to to to this Pathfinder, um, about two days later and give me a ring and two days after that, I met him, met him in a sport to him. And then, ever since then, I've just stated, like, it brings me every week asking me if I need to speak to him about anything. You know what I mean? To make sure I'm not, You know, if that makes sense, it takes an interest in E

Makes the effort to ask me, Are you still going? I don't have to ring him. He touches me. I've been beaten down trail

And how does that feel? Good, Because I'm not really. To be honest, it's from someone who actually helping rather than just helping brilliant. And so in terms of, like, DePaul and the Pathfinder programme itself

Have you have you found, like, overall, have you sort of explain to the team? Or has it been all through Allen and that I've obviously the first time I sports some fellow on the phone? I think his name was Andrew. Might've been Andrew. Um, that was the first time I brought someone

And then since then, I've just dealt with. I learned I'm not really I'm not like to say because I've not been in a crisis situation. I'm not really needed, you know what I mean? So I'm not like it's not like I've I've I needed to speak to someone and not speak to anyone, except I'm not really needed to because everything I needed brilliant and you mentioned earlier about, like the gym as well is that something that is important to you being able to kind of don't do that? Like I said, I'm registered for the army because I'm in court in my application form to the results in court

Fitness. It's a big I'm not. I'm not a very tall or muscular person

So it is a big thing going to the gym, you know what I mean? I needed to do as soon as I told him that I have not been going. He straight on it like that. Three days later, he rang me and said, You don't meet me at the gym near your emotion

My work said I could get a reinvestment. So she's like Like I said, everything I've needed, even if I'm not like like with the gym thing, I get even more. That addition that's possible from, you know, because you don't really think and stuff like that, like, you know what I mean? Like, you know, I think I've got support with Do you think I never, never expected him to do that? But I told him I had not been going to the gym for the past month because I couldn't afford it

Three days later, he rang me and me. And you know, that's him. Also meeting you at the gym rather than just kind of, you know, just yeah, it's making me track out there, just you know what I mean? Like I said, Uh oh, come all the way up there and met me at the General because from my ocean rather than me having to like what you're doing is making the important town for paying for it there

And I could have used it at the gym. But rather than doing that, he's made the effort to come out of his where he paid for it after gym next to my ocean. I mean, because he's top money is he's proper sound

And you mentioned your accommodation. Now, So you've got a house at the moment. You've got some accommodation

Uh, I got about two days ago and then obviously it is going to be moving soon, so it is getting, like, a little urgent. So, you know, get some of my own accommodation. He's a temporary off, full time, quite permanent, but it's on the same night as that

I need to find out what was going on with the Army because I said this to him on the phone you. But I don't want him to be China stocks out and then next month, the army You coming in in two months time? I mean, I'm told that I told him that it is urgent. We'll find out what the Army said in a minute

I'm all right. I'm just so so. But how does it feel to have, like that option that you could get in touch with him if you stuck? Yeah, it's reassuring

It's very reassuring because I've personally, I've been obviously registered since I was very younger, and I've been a situation more than one to sleep outside because I've been whatever whatever is going on, I don't know what stand up nine. Obviously the day after one in the morning, I can you know what I mean. More more often than not I can

I've got a lot of friends and families, so I can start somewhere to stare. Shot is needed, but it's very reassuring to have someone there like, say, If I do get so I can only stay somewhere for a few days, I can bring him and said Well, come, you know what I mean. It's very important

It's just reassuring because I've never had that even when I was a kid, you know? I mean, I've never really have it, so that's really cool and really good to hear John. And yeah, I think in general the programme itself is kind of like trying to help make sure that there isn't a long term homelessness, you know, Um so that's that's one aspect of it, but it sounds like there's a lot more to it. You know, that is helping with the programmes

Help not just when I got referred to, uh, housing thing, you know, lack of homeless prevention scheme and clearly is not so. It's just it's really but it's not what I expected. What is helping out a lot and what did you expect from it based on, Like previous experiences that you've had

What? What did you expect it was going to be like, based on kind of like what you've gone through in the past, Like I've been registered with the council and for years now they've never, never want, You know what I mean? Whatever. You know what I mean? I've even been assigned to the homeless prevention scheme run by the council in the town on and the woman who's my you know, I use my support worker. I've got a woman who does the same thing for them

And if I was saying in front of, you know, I'm not run during the week because I'm not needed to. But if I know for a fact striving for no good for would be off, if that makes sense, I've not been able to get into trouble because of sports. It's been what, three months I've been speaking to Ireland, so it's about it's probably longer than that, probably about four months, and you know what I mean? But it's much better than the council anyway

Yeah, yeah, yeah, the difference in terms of like the service and the support that you're able to get just the service with one of my dad's friends. Like they tell you, Bring this number knowing full well that you don't get nowhere when you when you ring that number. You know what I mean? They're just for the officers to do it because they're finishing how they're going on the break, You know what I mean? That's what he's like

Come on. It's coming into town. All Yeah, Give me a number to ring

Stop trying to bring that number for an hour to get away from my dad's friend Come in with, uh, it was up there. She she come there and then come to the job centre with and they went up there. I ended up speaking for the first time

So you know what I mean. It just it just shows. Done it

When? When? When? You know what I mean. Because of all the earth with the I was in it. And then I From what I can tell, I wonder if they enjoyed doing it

So I really can't fault the company. To be honest, that's brilliant. And for anybody else who is in a sort of similar situation to where you found yourself to be honest

To be honest, I've been speaking to my little brother works, but he was in a tackles and he's been He's been saying he's been having a bit of problems. And you told him I said, If you ever need, if you ever need a you know, you know that stay in that. I said to him, I speak to my sport worker

I wouldn't see if you can just buy refer you to them or I don't know how it works. But if I If I could do that for him, yeah, but because that's brilliant. John, Thank you so much for your time

Is there anything else you'd like to mention about it? You've covered everything. Yeah. I hope everything goes Yeah, that's awesome to hear

Thank you. And I'm so pleased. It sounds like a really positive, like part of your life now

And yeah, it's obviously like I'm 21 side. I need my own place stability. And so I think the stuff that I didn't even expect him to give me advice on, probably not even anything he's supporting me advice on

You know what I mean? So I can't Fault is that's brilliant. Thank you so much. And I hope everything goes really well with getting a job

And everyone thanks very much. Thank you. She's going to start recording again there and call Jump back

Hi, John. I'm so sorry. It's Rachel

There was one thing I forgot to ask you before. You okay? Just for a second. I'll go over it with you quickly

Um, it's the consent form because we're working with Pathfinder and DePaul charity. So we need to check that you're okay for us to use your story is part of, uh yeah. So, uh, fabulous

I'm just gonna put your name in. Shall I just put it? Is John or do you have Do you want to put her name or that problem and you're over 16? Aren't you? Okay? And yeah, just just quickly, there was a couple of options, so obviously it's voluntary that you're doing this. You can obviously withdraw anytime if you want to

Um, obviously a consent. And for your story to be to be able to be used as part of the project that it's Are we okay to use it on community reporter dot Net. As part of the work that we do with Manchester Metropolitan

Things like that. Okay, lovely. Thank you so much

Cheers, John. Uh, yeah.

 

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