Frances Wright is the Service Manager at Centrepoint, part of the Lambeth. She has worked in Lambeth for 20 years.
“I was the manager of Camberwell Foyer and now manage six projects in the pathway. Currently I’m at Pembury Close, a seven bed service for young people with high support needs. We have six self-contained plus a shared kitchen and bathroom; a separate one bed flat and offices next door.
It wasn’t really a shock when it was decided to close the foyer. There had been a two-year period of discussion and consideration, with staff and the young people. There were focus groups and lots of opportunities to get involved. We were asked what we thought needed to be done, what was the best service for young people? It was all very exciting as the vision was positive; smaller, bespoke services, with reduced caseloads.
Sophie Konradsen, who led the project, was very brave. She delivered what the managers and staff were asking for, especially for young people with complex mental health needs.
While we did have good service at the foyer, the new approach is better. For example, a 17 year old might have had to live with a 20 year old as there was not enough choice. And caseloads were 15, now they down to no more than nine. And the plan is for a key worker to have no more than five. This makes a huge difference for staff and clients.
The new services are all designed and built to a high standard. Sophie worked with housing associations and landlords to make sure she got good quality. Pembury Close for example is owned by Peabody. They fully re equipped it and then Centrepoint completely re fitted it as well.
Another of my services is in Finsbury Park. Only five people in each unit and the specification is very high: all en suite, modern design, good carpets, floors, fewer shared facilities in a pod design. As a result, conflict is reduced and more support can be delivered.
The pathway has allowed us to get away from old style of hostel and is now much more homely. You can see that it gives the young people a voice. As much as we tried in the old system, you could clearly see that it was not appropriate for some people. The new pathway is more centred on the individual.
My team absolutely love working in the pathway. We can make it all more welcoming and give young people a voice. The feedback is very positive: young people feel safe. There have been some negative experiences in the past, but they now feel much more positive and safe. I have seen a real transformation, a change in attitude towards key working and making progress. Now our young people walk out of services not angry or aggressive, but more positive and hopeful for their future.”