A customer supported by our employment and money advisor Toni Roberts, has credited her with changing his life.
The man – whom we are not naming – left a situation of domestic violence with little but the clothes he was wearing. He went on to sleep in doorways, phone boxes and even public toilets.
Toni was introduced to the customer through a referral and kept in touch when he was provided with temporary accommodation in Birmingham. Eventually, she was able to help him move into one of our retirement living communities. By getting his finances in order and ensuring that he could manage his bills, she made sure his new home was secure.
“Most people don’t take the time to listen. Toni really listens. It is hard for me to trust anyone but I trust her to give me the right advice, to keep her promises and to treat me with respect,” he says. “Everywhere I had looked for help previously, there were barriers. I’d never sent an email in my life and people were asking me to fill in a form on a computer. Their jargon left me baffled and they saw me as a case, not a person.
“Toni turned my life around. She sorted my benefits and got me help I didn’t know existed. Because of her, I’ve got my own front door and everything I need.”
Toni says that she is pleased she could help: “It is often said that any of us are just a few steps from homelessness and we could all find ourselves in the situation that this customer experienced. I am glad we were able to make a positive difference.”