‘At Simon on the Streets success isn’t so much about end goals, but about considering the ‘distance travelled’ by each individual person we support as a charity. What can be classed as a ‘success’ is different for each individual and also differs in the interactions and challenges that our service users face.
S has always been highly challenging to work with because, for him, communicating with people and being able to understand the feelings and circumstances of others is a real stumbling block. S clearly has substantial mental health issues but engaging him with the appropriate mental health services and obtaining a clearer understanding or diagnosis of what these are, has been a slow process—and it still feels like early days! Like so many of our service users, S has significant trauma from his childhood still brimming under the surface. He experiences a relentless pull to any substance that can take his mind away from his severe unhappiness and depression. Taking this into account, small positive changes in how S communicates with others (par¬ticularly the services of whose doors he has been in and out of time and time again over the years) need to be regarded as successes.
In S’s case I have noticed a development over time with his support workers (including me!). Although he can still get caught up in verbally attacking a worker, as long as the worker stands their ground, not losing their temper, and gives him a chance to vent his frustrations afterwards, S now tends to apologise for his behaviour. I have also noticed this on other occasions when he has made a scene publicly. For example, recently he caused a scene at the Post Office, trying to cut corners and essentially embarrassing me in front of customers and staff! As disrespectful and nonsensical his behaviour can be, I still ultimately take stock of the apology that follows when he finally realises just how unproductive his efforts were and the rigmarole he had subjected everyone else to. This is a positive step forward in the development of his social skills. If he can consider the feelings of others, he can begin to consider his own feelings.
These subtle changes initially appeared as ‘one-off’s’. The one-offs are still to be upheld at Simon on the Streets but what most speaks of success is that the seemingly small change in S appears to be consistent and sustainable. He has made a step forward and this has significantly impacted on the development of his social skills, something crucial to the success of all the other practical changes that may take place to get S off the streets and into the support services that he needs. Any sustainable, positive change, no matter how small is absolutely a success worth celebrating.’