Rosie Hancock has been working for BCHA in the Plymouth area for 4 years and has recently transitioned to a role with the Temporary Outreach & B&B Team.
“After working as a Complex Needs Support Worker for George House, BCHA’s supported living shelter, for just over 3 and a half years, I wanted to help those facing street homelessness and without the security of having somewhere safe to stay. I now work with Daisy Blewitt, my manager who co-ordinates and manages our team. I also work with Dave and Hannah, who also work to support our customers.”
“Our team is based at George House in Plymouth, so a typical week will involve meeting with my team members at the office to discuss any case work we have on. After discussing any immediate or pressing issues, I will get in touch with a couple of my customers to see if they need any help with accessing food or healthcare services. Some of our customers deal with addictions, so sometimes managing their finances and health is not a top priority for them. Ensuring our customers have the tools they need to lead healthy lives is paramount to me, so I make sure I do what I can, whether this be scheduling appointments or delivering food parcels to them. We make sure we are there to help and support our customers until accommodation is available to them. No two days are ever the same!”
“Helping people and working for a charitable organisation is so integral to me, and I do not know what else I would do as a career if I wasn’t in a support role or able to help others daily. As we are one of the beginning parts of our customers’ journey, it is really fulfilling to see progression and change within our customers to allow them to be able to move on to stability from some very traumatic situations. My role has made me into a much more confident and resilient individual, and given me so many transferable skills.”
“Being able to support customers on their terms is a really important part of this role. Many of the customers we speak to have mental health and accessibility needs, so being able to communicate with them with a method they feel comfortable with is a core component of building a trusting relationship with our customers. I usually see my customers twice a week if not more. Being accessible to our customers while they still live their daily lives is a huge part of this role – even if it’s just being on hand via text messaging."
"Sometimes we have to react quickly to the situations we are presented with. Being part of the Plymouth Alliance we can easily signpost customers to the correct support and this is a huge benefit to BCHA.”
“Within both the George House Support Team and the B&B support team, we are guided by BCHA’s core set of values: being passionate, person centred, purposeful and inclusive. To us, these are not just words, they are the principles we live by daily to ensure our customers are given the best possible support. Taking the time to listen when a customer needs to talk and celebrating even the small steps forward - not just the milestones – is integral to keeping these values at the forefront at what we do. Every member of the George House support team and B&B team is deeply committed to what we do, and seeing this passion shine through in our work keeps us motivated even when there are difficult days. I believe the BCHA values cannot exist without one another and are key to providing the support those facing trauma, homelessness or adversity need.”
“Working for BCHA has provided me with so many great memories. George House hosted a festival, ‘George Fest’, in the outside space of the building."
"It was largely co-ordinated by Molly Shill, premises manager at George House, and it was so fulfilling to be able to make positive memories with our customers. The festival was filled with colour, live music and even an illustrator. Seeing our customers come together as a community was so uplifting, and I hope provided them with great memories, too.”
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