Victoria and Jasper start a new life
Victoria is looking forward to a bright future after navigating her recovery journey at our In Partnership Project (IPP) in Blackburn.
Victoria moved into IPP after the death of her partner left her homeless. She struggled with alcohol dependency and spent time in a homeless hostel in Blackburn before being referred to IPP.
The past couple of years have been something of a rollercoaster, but with support from the floating support workers at IPP, Victoria has been able to navigate her recovery and move into a home of her own with her dog, Jasper.
Victoria is also now working with the NHS as a researcher and says the future is looking bright. She said: “I didn’t want to leave IPP, but I knew it was a finite thing. They helped me get on the housing list and bid for properties. I have got a lovely apartment now and my dog as well, which I really wanted.
“The impact of living in IPP and the support I got from Jake (Floating Support Worker) is massive. They never judged me and just gave me the support and guidance I needed. They’ve all been amazing.”
“Living in my own place gives me the freedom to be ‘normal’.”
Raising the bar on everyday services
To help us improve the services that matter most to customers, we have we introduced a new way of working, bringing colleagues from different teams together into small improvement groups. Their role is to use customer feedback, data, complaints and real experiences to make practical changes – and the approach is already making a difference.
One key focus has been neighbourhoods and shared spaces. By reviewing how communal areas are checked, how trees are managed and how we respond to bad weather, we’ve made improvements to help keep communities safer, cleaner and better cared for.
We’ve also looked at services such as reporting anti-social behaviour, managing a tenancy and moving home. This work is helping us simplify guidance and processes, making them clearer and more consistent.
Moving home is a big step, so we’re creating one clear guide to help customers understand how to set up and look after their home, and how to access services from day one.
All of this work is shaped by what we learn from customers. You can find out more about these improvement groups on our website: