Community Client E
Client E referred himself to advocacy as he and his partner had presented as homeless with the council and he stated that the council was more concerned as to whether they were a couple rather than looking at if they were homeless. E said that this resulted him having to pay for them to stay in hotels whilst they sorted the situation.
Barriers faced in being heard:
E met with his advocate and explained that he had tried speaking to the housing department but was not being listened to.
Advocacy undertaken:
- E met with his advocate and they discussed E’s options.
- E instructed his advocate that he wanted to proceed with a complaint to the council regarding his experience of presenting as homeless. E’s advocate drafted a complaint letter and sent it off once E was happy with the contents.
- Following the complaint being submitted, E was invited to attend a meeting with the council to address the complaint. E met with his advocate before the meeting to discuss what he wanted to raise in the meeting.
Outcomes:
E advocated well for himself in the meeting and required little input from his advocate. During the meeting, E received an apology and was informed that the service he received fell below of what the council expected.
Following the meeting, E received a letter reiterating the apology he received at the meeting and was offered £50 compensation.
E stated that he felt having advocacy support to be beneficial and felt more confident speaking up for himself when having advocacy support.