Recently I was walking to an appointment with one of our youngest and most complex service users Lisa, and someone who was running a promotional event said “excuse me ladies, but would you like a free cake?” Lisa was so pleased, but not just with getting a free cake but with how she was spoken to. Simply being offered a cake led to a conversation about how others react to her in public. She commented that had she not been with me that would never have occurred; Lisa said it is obvious she uses drugs so people either ignore her or give her pitying looks. Recently she actually had rotten eggs thrown at her by a group of men. When I asked her how she felt about the reactions of others she said she used to get upset but was used to it now.
There are many other examples of our service users being treated with contempt. Jack is a young but entrenched rough sleeper with Psychosis; a severe mental illness in which thought and emotions are so impaired that contact is lost with external reality. Jack is a beggar but he prefers to sit with a cup rather than ask people for money. Late one Friday night a man coming out of a nearby pub suddenly kicked him in the face, knocking out a couple of his teeth. One of our service users named John (in another area) used to sit begging on a bridge. I never worked with him but I saw him often; he was not a quiet beggar like Jack but said things to passers-by. I can appreciate how people might have felt intimidated because this was in quite an isolated area; mostly he was ignored. If that was me I would feel frustrated at being ignored, almost like I wasn’t a person. So although I never gave him any money I always said hello to him and gave him a smile.
Neither Lisa nor Jack has a positive social network for support; in fact both are extremely isolated. For Lisa this is actually a step forward as she has escaped from a series of violent and controlling relationships. She used to be afraid of being on her own because due to her past experiences she believes this is when she is open to rape and violence. Despite it being positive that she is no longer with violent men, she is yet to develop more positive relationships with others and is often lonely. Jack had a close friendship with another young rough sleeper, but due to his friend reducing his heroin use this relationship became unsustainable. He now spends most of his time without any human interaction except from the reactions he gets when he is begging. I would say that everyone we work with is at the stage where they feel there is no-one to turn to, which is where we come in as an organisation.
My job is not about offering practical solutions to problems, as often people just want someone to talk to. I am pleased to work for an organisation that sees the value in providing emotional support for people for its own sake. It is about getting to know people as individuals in a respectful manner on the premise that asking someone about their background, their regrets, their goals, their personal philosophy and their character encourages self-reflection and lasting change, whilst fostering a trusting and respectful relationship. Over the past year I have learned that Lisa is interested in philosophy and is studying world religion from a book she was given, and she used to enjoy trips to the ice skating rink when she was in care. Jack is a private person and keeps himself to himself most of the time, but he talks with enthusiasm about sea fishing where he grew up on the coast. I honestly believe that no one else is asking Lisa and Jack about themselves in such a way and these questions are leading to them considering that change might be possible.
I read an article recently where church representatives stated that the government has systematically misrepresented the poorest in society, and that the far-reaching welfare cuts are predicted on dishonest “myths” perpetuated by politicians about the poor. Morrison said: “It is an understanding of people that they somehow deserve their poverty, that they are somehow ‘lesser’, that they are not valued” (http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2013/apr/01/tories-church-poor-row, 30.08.13). Whilst I am unable to provide hard evidence to support this, it is clear that this is how our service users feel about themselves. Earlier I wrote briefly about John who used to sit begging on the bridge. Last time I crossed the bridge I was expecting to see him sat in his usual begging spot, but instead I saw his named spelled out in flowers as a tribute following his death. I stopped to read the messages from local support services, but still people continued to walk past without turning their heads.
Lauren, Support Worker