14 April 2023

We have four smallish but excellent services. These include offering accommodation for people with low level support needs and people with mental health issues who are ready to be discharged from hospital. We also offer support to people who have a Personal Budget and have 12 properties in Gainsborough for people who have been entrenched in sleeping on the streets with many complex needs. (Actually, there’s a full regeneration project going on in Gainsborough and you can read more about that too, including the award received recently by the Lincolnshire High Sheriff.) Four varied services that have achieved some excellent outcomes.

The team have to cover a huge county, which warrants of a lot of patience on them there country roads! But this doesn’t stop them from providing a top-notch service that does what it says on the tin and they always do this with passion, care, and kindness.

I’m one proud manager and I’m delighted to present to you – the Lincolnshire blog!

Johanne Barrass, Lincolnshire Operations Manager

A huge part of the problem is that most landlords don’t live here. I know one person whose landlord lived in the Bahamas. They have no connection to their tenants or to the place, they don’t care about what’s legal or safe. And some of these properties are death traps. The same lady who had holes in her wall nearly got hit by falling plaster once and another property had such severe water damage that the ceiling was bowing. Honestly, the stories I could tell you …

So now we’re on a mission, started up by Jo Summers. We’re working in partnership with West Lindsey District Council, which has given £1 million towards our project to purchase, renovate and let over 100 homes in Gainsborough.

It’s about making sure people have good quality housing, but also a strong community and opportunities – we’re using local businesses for the work as much as possible so that we can strengthen the economy there.

Rhiannon is the Property Manager. She finds and purchases the properties in Gainsborough and does a brilliant job – she’s made lots of local contacts so that she can get in early, often before sales are made public. She’s also good at making deals – some landlords just want to get rid of their portfolios and they like the idea of them being purchased by a social landlord.

Rhiannon’s aim of the game is to try and locate some of the most overlooked properties in the area and, with a sprinkle of P3 maintenance magic, bring them up to a decent home standard. One minute Rhiannon can be really having to watch her footing in properties due to the disrepair and the next handing over a new property to become someone’s home, whether it be for the Gainsborough project or our Lincolnshire County Wide services.

I’m the Neighbourhood Manager, so I’m the one who people contact if they have any questions or problems and I keep people informed about what’s going on. I might be supporting someone to ensure their rent is in place and new tenancy is up and running and then I can be walking the streets of Gainsborough as part of the community ‘walkabouts’ to promote the regeneration of the area and to have a visible presence. A lot of our tenants never knew their home had been bought by a new landlord until I went over to introduce myself and P3, and have a look to see if their homes needed any work done. I also support the Next Steps Accommodation Programme (NSAP) and Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme (RSAP) workers in the running of the more intensive support services in Gainsborough. (See the next section for more on these.)

This is a long-term project – we can’t regenerate a town in a few weeks or months. But we’re well on track with our ten-year plan. We have 50 properties so far. And now people in Gainsborough are approaching me to ask P3 to buy their homes so they can be P3 tenants. I think that’s a great sign of the difference we’re making in Gainsborough, and how we plan for it to look by the time we’re finished.

In fact, I was recently presented with an award by the Lincolnshire High Sheriff for the work we’ve done in Gainsborough. I received it, but of course I have a whole team behind me handling things like accounts, rent and property, so really it is an award for the team, not me. I just wish there were more hours in the day!

Rachel Hampton, Neighbourhood Manager

Hi! I’m Dan, Link Worker with the Gainsborough Next Steps Accommodation Programme and Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme (NSAP and RSAP). For those who don’t know, these are Government initiatives set up after the successful ‘Everybody In’ campaign during the pandemic. Under the schemes, the Government provides funding for quality homes and support for people who are experiencing homelessness, including those who are sleeping rough.

I’ve been on the project since it started in April 2021. I work alongside people living in P3 properties who have had periods of homelessness and whose access to any accommodation is limited.

I support them in getting back in getting used to the sorts of everyday things that we can take for granted sometimes, like paying bills, managing money, making calls to utility providers…the list goes on. There’s no boundary in what I’ll help people with; if they ask for something then I’ll do what I can to help and guide them.

The aim is always to be working with people towards self-sufficiency, so they can manage their own place with no issues in the future.

Dan Duffield, Link Worker

Hi, my name is Alex!

This is actually my second stint at P3, as I initially joined in 2018 and was part of the Lincolnshire Street Outreach team.

This time round, I’m a Neighbourhood Link Worker for the NSAP and RSAP in Gainsborough. The project means a lot to me, as I grew up here and I’m really happy with the positive effect that this and the Viable Housing Project are having on the town and its people.

And for a little bit about me…in my spare time I like going to gigs, working out in the gym and walking my two dogs!

Alex Driffill, Support Worker

Case Study

So now we’ve heard from two colleagues at NSAP and RSAP Gainsborough – but what do the people they work alongside have to say? Dan asked one of them …

What did it mean to get a P3 property?

There were no words to describe it. I was elated. When we got to the house, I couldn’t believe that this was what you were offering me. It was only in recent months that I’d not been on the streets after nearly 20 years, and there was a house with everything I needed just for me.

Is the support from P3 helping you? How?

In every shape and form. It’s not just help with sorting your bills and sorting your home, but also sorting me and doing your best to help me from the very basic to the very complicated. Then when we’ve all done that, we just talk about gaming or things going on in the world. It’s not just you do your support and you’re gone.

What do you like about P3?

Everything. You are always there to help me even when things get tough. Dan, you do loads to help me day to day but then all of the other P3 workers that have come to see me have always done what they can for me.

Is there anything P3 can do better?

No, everything you have done for me is far more than I expected when I came into this project.

Anything else you would like to share?

I respect P3 so much. You have treated me as a person and not as a problem. Having you has meant me being able to keep a tenancy. Before this I wouldn’t have paid bills, but here I have wanted to do this because you have given me this chance. I know I have had blips with my bills but I’ve always made up for it in the end. Because of this when I move on from here I will pay my rent, my bills and do what I need to do to maintain my own place.

– I can’t say thank you enough.

I started working for P3 in 2018 with Lincoln Floating Support, moving to ActionLincs in the next year. I was managed by the wonderful Rachel Hampton and I have to say, that is one of the many highlights of my P3 career! In 2020 I started working for Lincolnshire IHM as a Support Worker but then in 2021, disaster struck, for me anyway. The fantastic Darren Wilson got the Service Manager role with the Leicester Mental Health Service. My loss was definitely their gain, but oh my… I struggled without Darren there!

But through every dark cloud comes a beautiful rainbow. I myself became Service Coordinator of Lincolnshire IHM and Lincolnshire BeWell. Here, we support people who live with mental ill-health to continue living independently. We don’t have a one-size-fits-all approach; when someone comes to us, we personalise their support so they can get the right assistance for themselves and their situation. So that might include support with managing finances, living skills such as shopping or cooking, socialising and getting in contact with other organisations if they need help with something more specific.

It has been a challenge, but I’m really enjoying working alongside the people who live here and aligned organisations to build up both services and support our team to give the best possible support.

When I’m not at work, I spend most of my time in the gym. Actually, I recently climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, up and down in 36 hours. I don’t talk about this very often, though … ask the Lincolnshire team!

Andy Waters, Service Coordinator

My name is Stevie Hall and I work with the Lincolnshire Intensive Housing Management (IHM) team. Currently, I have eight people I am working alongside in the city of Lincoln. They are a varied bunch and I’m pleased to have a great working relationship with all of them. My role is always interesting; one day is never the same as the next. I really enjoy this dynamic and look forward to planning my week ahead and visiting people in the community.

I also work on the BeWell side, working with one person in Lincoln. We love getting out and about in town – going out for café visits and attending Pilates on a Tuesday morning. 

I have worked with P3 for about seven months now. I started as a Bank Wellbeing Worker, before taking on a permanent contract with the Lincolnshire IHM team. I’ve felt thoroughly supported by my excellent colleagues and have enjoyed learning the many intricacies of my role. Although it can be challenging at times, it is always rewarding and I look forward to each new day. 

Stevie Hall, Bank Support Worker

Hello. I’m Conan Hazard and I live in Lincoln. I used to work on the Street Outreach Team, but now I’m with IHM. The thing I love about being at P3 is that I get to help people every day.

I thought the best way to describe what we do was to talk to a person I work alongside, so here it is!

What did it mean to get a P3 property?

I have a place to call my own and I’m not waiting for the council to house me.

How does P3 support help you? 

It’s just nice to have my own place and not be in a communal building with many other people … Yes, it is good to have someone help me with all the things I struggle with.

What do you like about P3?

Your support worker will come to you and you don’t always have to go to them. I’m happy with P3.

Conan Hazard, Support Worker

Maintenance is what I do. I’ve been in the building trade since I left school … oh, many years ago now. I served my apprenticeship as a painter and decorator at a multi-trade company and when the painting went quiet in the winter months, they’d send us out to jobs with other trades. Which proved very beneficial in later years! Because ten years ago, I moved to Lincolnshire from West Yorkshire, came across this Multi-Trade Operative role at P3 – and I’ve never looked back.

I find this a great place to work. Wonderful colleagues, and jobs such as empty properties and general maintenance issues are always dealt with professionally and managed well.

As for me personally, I love to restore old classic Minis if and when time allows. And I’ve recently purchased a new caravan, so I spend most of my annual leave touring around the country.

I hope to spend many more years working at P3, if they’ll have me!

Andy Taylor, Maintenance Operative

Hi to everyone reading this! My name is Tony Burrows and I started with P3 just over a year ago, having been in the construction industry all my life and mostly on a self-employed basis.

I’m pleased to say the experience has been great. All the people that I work with are fantastic and helping to improve people’s quality of life, by doing all the necessary work on their homes, makes the job even more rewarding.

I know there are still lots of new experiences to come and I’m really looking forward to them all!

Tony Burrows, Multi Skilled Operative