Jo Glennie, Operations and Business Manager at Right There explains how we support people on their  journey to create a safe and supportive place to call home.

I can’t believe it’s been almost a year since we started our new chapter as Right There, with the launch of our new organisational vision – a world where everyone has an equal chance to create a safe and supportive place to call home. It’s been an exciting year for our charity and throughout this time of change, we had the opportunity to hear more from the people we support. This has led to us strengthening how we can help people and provide the right support at the right time.

Everyone’s journey is unique 

Working with thousands of children, families and adults, we know that obstacles or challenges often get in the way for people that run much deeper than bricks and mortar.

Everyone’s journey to creating a safe and supportive place to call home is different and rarely linear. We walk alongside people throughout every stage of their journey, whether they are in a crisis such as experiencing homelessness, struggling day-to-day with family relationships, or going through life changes such as leaving care or other life changes.

The different ways we can help depends on a person’s needs at the time. When people first come to Right There, our priority is to make them feel safe and build trusting relationships. We take a trauma-informed and strengths-based approach, as we believe that what people have inside them is bigger and more powerful than their past. We work with them to help them realise their potential, so they can feel happier, healthier, and more equipped to move forward in life.

Support in reality 

But what does our support look like in reality? Let’s take Liam* for example, who lives in our supported accommodation in Orkney. He feels physically safe, but he’s got unresolved trauma from childhood and is experiencing hardships that impact his mental health. Without the right well-being help, Liam can’t easily move on to manage his own home. Along with Right There providing tailored support and practical housing advice, we can offer specialised help with counselling. Now Liam feels in a healthier place and is ready to move into his own home, but he’d still like a bit of peer support to settle into his local community and continue to work on his goals. That’s where a volunteer mentor can come in. Not only can a mentor support someone to work towards their goals, but a trusted and reliable relationship can support Liam to continue to keep moving forward.

Always responsive 

Formed in 1824, we’ve got almost 200 years of experience delivering support. And through the decades we’ve continued to tailor our offering for the people and communities we serve. Our package of support is an opportunity for more children, families, and adults to access a wide range of help depending on their needs and aspirations.

Right now we know it’s really tough out there for people. Too many individuals and families are struggling and the current cost of living and energy crisis only going to push people further into poverty, and with that comes an increase in the risk of homelessness.

That’s why the variety of support is crucial – we need to meet people where they are in life so that we prevent more people from becoming homeless or separated from the people they love.

Find out more how we can help by reading more about our support.