Learn about what I learned on my visit to Petrus and Redfern's house...
On the visit with the HART nurses, we visited 'Redfearn house' in Rochdale offering the residents in Redfern snacks, drinks and fruits which they enjoyed a lot! They also attended this session to socialise, to get health advice and to have a Hepatitis C test, as they are in a more vulnerable position than others. The nurses suggested to them that they should take the test for safety reasons and explained that if the Hepatitis C test is positive and not treated it can escalate and become extremely harmful and lead to liver cancer. Everyone agreed to take the test as they care about their health and if led to successfully proceed with the test they win a voucher. It was an enjoyable experience watching and seeing how genuinely caring the nurses are with the residents and even the residents easily participating in the session.
What is the HART team?
HART stands for Homeless Alliance Response Team. They provide support and assistance to individuals experiencing homelessness in Rochdale. They work to connect people with resources, provide outreach services, and help them access housing and support networks. It's an important initiative to address homelessness in the community.
HART has now created and collaborated with 'Triangle of Care'. The Triangle of Care is an alliance between the service user, staff member and carer. Better recognition that carers are key partners in mental health through using Triangle of Care is an investment in safety, quality and continuity of care at a relatively low financial cost.
The HART team work with Petrus. The Petrus Community is a registered charity providing residential and day support services for people in housing need throughout the Borough of Rochdale (including Heywood and Middleton), Rossendale and Oldham.
Petrus Housing aims to:
To accommodate people who are homeless or would otherwise be at risk of homelessness and who need and accept support in their transition to independent living.
To be accountable to stakeholders and funders, including the local authority and referral agents, and ensure that our supported housing is provided for people in the greatest need.
To make optimum use of the property and minimise void losses, allowing lettings may be deferred to allocate rooms appropriately taking into account the specific needs of service users.
To ensure equality of opportunity in the selection and allocation of accommodation.
To assist the local housing authority in their duties towards homeless vulnerable people.
Where did we visit with the HART Nurse?
With the HART Nurse (Elaine) we visited Redfern House in Rochdale, which is part of the stepping-stone projects. The service consists of 16 self-contained fully furnished flats in a grouped accommodation setting at Redfearn House with communal facilities including a garden, laundry, trainer kitchen, meeting room, and access to IT. We also offer another 15 independent properties dispersed within the community.
What Support do they get?
Support that can be offered, includes:
Advice on housing rights and responsibilities.
Support to develop the skills and capacity needed to meet their obligations as a tenant.
Support accessing specialist agencies e.g. mental health and substance misuse issues.
Support in applying for benefits, grants and loans (including help with forms).
Support to assist individuals with budgeting, paying bills managing debts etc.
Joint Working with specialist support services/agencies.
Support in accessing employment, voluntary work opportunities, training and education.
Help build self-confidence.
Support to develop independent living skills, including in a shared environment.
Help to access and maintain suitable long-term accommodation when the client is ready to move on.
It's important to know that there is help out there and if you are struggling or know someone who is whether that is homeless or struggling with mental health please contact us.
If you want to keep up to date with the HART Nurse role and The Triangle of Care keep a look out for the latest blogs as I'll be explaining all about it.
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