Ethan* was in desperate need of breaking the cycle he was in of being released from prison, having nowhere to go, and becoming homeless, to then abusing substances again, leading to criminal activity and spending more time in prison.
From a young age, he had been involved in using and dealing Class A and B substances, as well as having numerous convictions for crimes linked to his substance misuse. In the last 10 years he has frequently been admitted to hospital and been detained in prison. Working together with a Support Worker from our Out of Hospital Care Team, he has been able to start moving away from the downward spiral he’s been on for a long time.
Ethan was referred to our Out of Hospital Care Team whilst he was living in temporary accommodation by Oxford City Council. Unfortunately, he lost this accommodation after a breach in his tenancy agreement, and he became homeless. Ethan then started to misuse substances again (due to him having contact with other users and suppliers), which led to him separating himself from our services. Despite this, Ethan’s Support Worker worked hard to maintain awareness of Ethan’s circumstances from week to week, by coordinating with a colleague who was working with Ethan’s then partner. During this time, Ethan also received a 1-year prison sentence for handling stolen property.
While Ethan was in prison, his Support Worker maintained contact with him to help make his transition once released as smooth as possible. Ethan was also encouraged to engage with the prison’s Community Support Officer, as well as substance and alcohol support services in and out of prison.
Ethan had never been released with accommodation in place before, and this was a key factor in him relapsing. Having a stable place to stay was really important for Ethan improving his life. His Support Worker successfully applied for a grant from the Move on and Make it Happen Fund, administered by Oxford City Council. Ethan was awarded money for a deposit and a rent advance towards private rented accommodation. However, finding accommodation proved challenging due to Ethan’s previous breach in tenancy, but eventually a room in a shared house in Oxford came up. On the day of his release, Ethan viewed the property, and used his grant to paid the deposit, allowing him to avoid the harmful experience of homelessness and relapsing into substance use after his prison sentence.
Having safe accommodation acted as the starting point for Ethan to improve his circumstances. The help and guidance from his Support Worker has empowered Ethan to start making positive life changes and break the negative cycle he was previously in. Ethan has now been sober for one year and has maintained his tenancy. He is in full-time work and regularly speaks with his 8-year-old and 4-year-old daughters, as well as his sister, all of which was not possible in his old life. Ethan feels that he now leads “a much happier and healthier life” and is on a bright new path.
For more information about our Out of Hospital Community Team, please click here.
*To protect our client’s privacy, names have been changed and stock imagery has been used in place of real photographs.
