Case Studies
Sarah’s journey with Ready 4 Home
Before Ready 4 Home:
‘’My life before Ready 4 Home was chaotic, I had been in a violent relationship for years, and when I finally found the courage to leave, I had nowhere safe to go. I spent nights on friend’s sofas and even in a shelter, but it never felt stable. I was constantly on edge, wondering where I’d be sleeping next,’’
Challenges of homelessness:
Sarah described her time being homeless as one of the hardest periods of her life. She said ‘’ I felt invisible. It wasn’t just about not having a roof over my head, it was the shame, the fear and the loneliness. Every day felt like survival, and I didn’t know who to trust. Even simple things like keeping clothes clean or eating properly were a challenge.’’
Sarahs’s transition into Ready 4 Home:
When Sarah was referred to Ready 4 Home, everything started to change.
‘’The referral process was so quick and easy, which was a relief after all the waiting i’d been through. From the very first call, the staff were warm, empathetic and reassuring. When I arrived, the house was spotless, my room was clean and homely. The staff introduced me to the other residents straight away. For the first time in a long time, I felt safe.
Feeling welcomed:
Sarah said she felt part of her new community almost instantly.
‘’ I was shown around the local area, and that helped me feel grounded. The staff made sure I knew where the health services were, and they encouraged me to connect with others so I didn’t feel isolated anymore. What stood out the most was how genuine everyone was, it wasn’t just a service, it felt like people really cared’’.
Sarah goes on to say ‘’ The biggest thing for me was reducing social isolation and helping me build a sense of community. I’d lost so many connections because of domestic violence abuse, but Ready 4 Home gave me the confidence to meet new people and helped me rebuild my life.’’
Support for moving forward:
‘’The staff at Ready 4 Home really supported me’’ said Sarah. ‘’The team helped me get back on track, guiding me in the right direction to get comfortable in my new accommodation and once settled the support workers sat down with me to look at options I’d like to pursue a career in. With an interest in health and social care, the team helped me find my confidence again and reminded me of the skills and qualities I offer. I ended up going back to college and this was a huge step towards independence for me’’.
Seeking Permanent Accommodation:
‘’When it was time to move on, Ready 4 Home guided me through the process for private accommodation. They didn’t just hand me forms and forget about me, they sat with me, explained each step, and even helped me prepare for viewing. That support made the difference between me feeling overwhelmed and me actually securing my own place.’’
Looking back:
Reflecting on her journey, Sarah says:
‘’Ready 4 Home gave me more than a roof, they gave me hope. I walked in broken, unsure of myself and I left with the tools, confidence and community to start a new life. I’ll always be grateful to the team that helped me in the darkest days of my life. I now look forward to a brighter future’’.
Keith’s case study - From prison to Ready4Home
Before Ready4Home
Keith had been in and out of unstable housing for years before entering prison. When he was released, he had nowhere safe to go.
‘’Before I found Ready4Home, I was bouncing from sofa to sofa, hostel to hostel and sometimes committing offences just to have a bed and some food for the night. It was exhausting and I felt like no one wanted to give me a proper chance.’’
Housing had always been one of the biggest barriers for Keith. Without stability, holding down a job or managing day to day life felt impossible.
Challenges of homelessness
Homelessness created a cycle that kept pulling Keith back towards offending.
‘’When you don’t have a place to stay, you’re constantly on edge. I couldn’t look for work properly, I couldn’t register with a GP and keeping my belongings safe and clean was a massive struggle for me. Sometimes, I felt like offending was the only way I’d get a roof over my head, even if it meant ending up back in a cell.’’
Living without secure housing left Keith vulnerable, isolated, and desperate for change.
Life daily without a home
Day to day survival consumed all of Keith’s energy.
‘’ I was always thinking about the next night, where am I going to sleep? How am I going to eat? You don’t think about the future because you’re just trying to get through the day. It takes away your confidence and makes you feel like you’re not worthy of anything.’’
This instability made it nearly impossible for him to move forward.
Transition into Ready4Home
On the day of Keith’s release, a Ready4Home staff member collected him directly from the prison gates.
‘’I didn’t know what to expect, but the staff were waiting for me. Straight away they made me feel like I wasn’t just another ex-offender, I was someone they cared about.’’
The Ready4Home team took him to important appointments, made sure he had everything he needed, brought him to his new home and made sure he felt safe and secure in his new location.
What stood out about Ready4Home
Keith recalls his first impressions vividly.
‘’The referral process was quick and easy. When I arrived, the house was clean, my room was ready, and everything felt welcoming. The staff were friendly and empathetic, they treated me with respect from the start and even introduced me to the other residents in the property that made me feel part of a family.’’
The small details helped Keith feel human again and gave him hope.
Moving forward
Since joining Ready4home, Keith has started rebuilding his life. He now has stability, routine and support.
Keith said ‘’Having a home has given me the chance to focus on the future instead of just surviving day in day out. I feel like I finally stand a chance to stay out of prison and do something better with my life’’.
Ready4Home has not only provided me with a roof over Keith’s head but also the foundation for lasting change.
A message from Keith
Keith recognises how important Ready4Home has been in helping him break free from the cycle of homelessness and offending.
‘’I’m so grateful for Ready4Home. Without them, I don’t know where I’d be now. To be honest I’d probably be back inside prison or still on the streets. They gave me a home, but more than that, they gave me hope. They’ve changed my life for the better, and I’ll always be thankful for the support they showed me from day one.’’
Adam Alharery (Sammy)
What was your living situation before you found Ready 4 Home: I used to live in temporary accommodation in a shared house with Cromwood Housing. I never had a fixed address, sadly there is no stability in temporary accommodation and the living conditions can be difficult especially when you’re dealing with everyday challenges as well as sharing property with other vulnerable adults.
During my time before Ready 4 Home I was sharing a house with ex prisoners, drug dealers & abusers and people who had severe mental health issues. Although I was grateful to have a roof over my head and a place to rest, I still felt vulnerable due to the people I was living with.
Living in a shared accommodation with other tenants who don’t share the same lifestyle and values as you can be very dangerous. I found myself in scenarios that I didn’t want to be in like finding drugs in the accommodation, fights breaking out inside and outside of the property and items being stolen from my personal space.
What were some of your biggest challenges or obstacles you faced being homeless: After being granted permission to live in the UK, the biggest challenge I faced was that the home office cut off my financial support, this left me feeling stressed and also without a support network within the country who could support me.
I approached Salford Council and they offered me a bed for the night and also a service that allowed me to move my belongings from one property to another. The council made me feel at ease during this frustrating and difficult time. I had no house, no support network, no job and felt like the pressure was building on me.
How did being homeless impact your daily life: Being homeless is a frustrating and frightening situation to be in. Due to having no fixed accommodation I found it difficult to open a bank, secure a job and provide food on the table for myself.
When Hanna became my social worker, she gave me a second chance at life, understood my situation, believed in my ability and started to point me in the right direction to start the process of getting myself in supported accommodation.
How did you find the transition from temporary accommodation to Ready 4 Home supported accommodation?
The transition was really simple and the team over at Ready 4 Home made me feel very at ease, within my first couple of days i’d already started fitting into my local community, enrolling in courses for my education and pointing me into different directions for various types of support I may have needed at the time.
What stood out to you during your transition into Ready 4 Home: The staff at Ready 4 Home made me feel like a family member from the second I started using their services, they were friendly, welcoming, empathetic, provided me with a clean and tidy property with all of the essentials I needed to feel at home.
How did Ready 4 home make you feel welcomed into your new community: On my induction, Ready 4 Home provided me with all the information I needed about the local area, some of the information covered: Doctors, Banks, shopping centres, local shops, transport routes in and around the area and also places of worship and much more. This was great for me, I’ve never had an experience like this before whilst settling into the country, this made me feel welcome, supported and safe.
Did you have qualifications that were not recognised in the UK and how did Ready 4 home help you transition these over? In my native country, I had qualifications in the accounting industry but sadly these qualifications aren’t recognised in the UK. Ready 4 Home didn’t only just put a roof over my head and a safe space to live, they supported me with my career ambitions and helped me enroll on a course that was suitable for my career.
How did you seek support when applying for local / private accommodation: My support worker Hanna sat down with me to discuss and show me around accommodation options that we’re available to me, this included private company sites, charities and landlords who are providing accommodation for vulnerable people.
How did your support worker provide you with help when doing a financial plan to prepare for part time / full time work to prevent you from getting into debt: My support worker sat down with me to provide me with financial support and together we made a financial plan for myself moving forwards and how I can better manage my finances.
Did Ready 4 Home continue to support your transition after you left supported housing: Absolutely, even though I transitioned away from supported housing, Hanna my support worker’s phone was always on and also checked in with me to ensure everything was okay on my side.
A job opportunity opened up at the company that was perfect for me and after two years of unstability today I start my first day working for a company that helped and guided me from the lowest time of my life to almost the happiest and most content i’ve ever been.
I am ever so grateful for the company to provide me with such an opportunity, I feel I’ve gone from a terrified homeless individual to a person who’s ready to share his story to help others in the same position as myself.