Resident transforms home with support from L&Q

A vulnerable resident who became overwhelmed with his home has got the help he needed thanks to our Housing Specialisms team.

The flat had begun to fall into a state of disrepair and needed to be decluttered and cleaned to make it liveable again.

The resident was nervous about people being in his home and moving his belongings and was unsure where to start. Resident Support Leads Corinna and Anne-Marie built a relationship with him over the last year, handling what was a very sensitive case and going above and beyond to support him.

This included a home visit to help him sort through his possessions and dispose of 60 bin bags of unwanted items.

Corinna said:

“Our homes are our safe spaces, and this home was particularly special for the resident, as it was where he had lived with his late mother.

It would have been traumatising for him if we had sent in strangers from another company to come in and clear everything out. We’ve built a good level of trust with him, so we decided it was best if we did this ourselves, rather than involving an external agency.

“It took a full day, but was absolutely worth it, as it meant the resident experienced minimal distress.”

Once decluttering had taken place, Neighbourhood Housing Lead, Oluwaseun, organised for a deep clean to all the surfaces of the home, from top to bottom.

By the end of the process the property had returned to a comfortable and safe environment for the resident to live in.

“Since our visit and the deep clean, the resident now feels able and empowered to maintain his home to a high standard” continued Corrina.

The resident was also supported by L&Q’s Tenancy Sustainment team to help him get the correct benefits.

“Collaborative working was at its best, with multiple positive outcomes achieved for the resident,” said Corrina.

People from all walks of life can end up needing support from our housing specialisms team, which works with partners such as Adult Social Care, GPs and the NHS.

“With a limited support network, the resident had been isolated since his mother passed. On the day we were there, his next-door neighbour made him a cup of tea and told him to pop in whenever he needed help. It was eye-opening to him to understand the amount of support available, and he was very grateful for our help”, Corrina said.

If you have concerns about the wellbeing of your neighbours, it’s important to encourage people to seek help. The difference can be life changing.

For more information on hoarding disorder, visit the Mind website.