Luke's Story
Twenty-one year old Luke had been sleeping in a tent in a park for several months. Despite living in appalling circumstances and having no income, he did not meet the local council’s definition of priority need. Fortunately. Step by Step's Launch service was able to help.
Sophie's Story
Sophie was desperate to leave her previous neglectful living situation. She and the person who was supposed to be caring for her rarely spent time with each other, and she felt that they simply did not care about her at all.
Hassan's Story
Hassan came to Step by Step’s New Forest Foyer in February 2023, having arrived in the UK from Iran just a few weeks earlier. He was a very polite young man despite feeling lost, overwhelmed and apprehensive in this new country and situation.
Rachel's Story
Step by Step offered Rachel a place in our Havant Foyer when she become homeless. With help from her Support Worker, she addressed the mental health issues that had been holding her back.
Nick's Story
Nick came to Step by Step after his relationship with his dad broke down and he became homeless. Until then, Nick had been the main carer for his non-verbal, autistic older brother. Sadly, Nick was experiencing significant neglect which only worsened after his stepmother left the family home.
Skye's Story
Skye became homeless after leaving her mum’s house to escape emotional abuse. Step by Step gave her a Supported Accommodation Bed, which would give her one-to-one support with her mental health needs.
Dylan's Story
Dylan had fought for 2 years to get the disability payments he needed to live independently. Launch took on his case, advocating for him at a tribunal.
Charlie's Story
Charlie approached Launch when suddenly facing the prospect of homelessness. Just a few weeks later, Charlie had a new job, a new home and renewed hope for his future.
Kaitlin's Story
Kaitlin was given a placement in Supported Lodgings after she became homeless following a family breakdown. Typically, these placements are not funded after 18 years old, but Kaitlin was offered an extended placement at a critical point in her education.
Lacey's Story
Lacey came to Step by Step after both her parents passed away. Devastated and alone, Lacey needed a stable place to live as well as a great deal of compassion and support. She wanted to live in a family environment, so our Supported Lodgings Service was the perfect fit.
Lena's Story
Lena became homeless at just 16 years old. Fortunately, Step by Step was able to help, giving her a place in our Supported Lodgings service. This allowed Lena to grow in confidence and continue the studies she was so passionate about.
Will's Story
Will became homeless after escaping an abusive relationship. Step by Step was able to give him a place in a Supported Independence Flat, meaning he would live largely independently but with the support to work towards his goals and aspirations.
Brayden's Story
Brayden became homeless after leaving the care system. He drank heavily and was putting himself in dangerous situations. Our Drugs and Alcohol Recovery service was able to help him get back on track.
Shannon's Story
Shannon was one of the first beneficiaries of our new Opportunities Fund. This is a pot of money that can be used for ad hoc purchases to help young people with their specific need. It helped her with the essentials she needed to get back to work.
Zoran's Story
Zoran arrived in the UK as a Kurdish refugee fleeing Iran. He was classed as an Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Child. Step by Step offered him an Emergency Supported Lodgings placement and the chance of a new life free from persecution.
Amy's Story
Amy was supported by our Launch advice and information service when she became homeless following a family breakdown. The Launch support workers helped her find a safe place to live and assisted her in finding work.
Josh's Story
When Josh came to Step by Step, his drug misuse and challenging behaviour hid his true potential. By providing Josh with a stable place to live and working closely with him, he proved himself to be a reliable and hard-working young man with a bright future ahead of him.
Layla's Story
Layla was one of the first beneficiaries of our extended Supported Lodgings service. These are places that receive additional funding in order to extend the duration of the placement and provide support at a critical point in a young person’s journey towards independence.
Maddi's Story
Maddi is a brave young woman who was able to turn her life around despite facing numerous challenges. We first met Maddi when she was given an emergency bed with Step by Step.
London's Story
When London was referred to Step by Step, she was considered a young person with very high needs. Alongside a stable place to live, she received dedicated support tailored to her needs and slowly she started to overcome her anxiety.
Kaleb's Story
Kaleb became homeless upon leaving the care system. At just 18 years old, he found himself in the terrifying position of being alone and with nowhere to go. Our Supported Lodgings service was able to meet his needs, giving him stability and support to plan his future.
Harry's Story
Like many young people leaving the care system, Harry suddenly found himself on his own and with nowhere to go. He was homeless at 19 years old when he was referred to our Supported Lodgings service.
Chloe's Story
Chloe found herself homeless at just 17 years old after escaping domestic violence. Her life had hit rock bottom. She had no direction or stability and had poor mental health. Our Supported Lodgings service was able to help.
Mike's Story
Mike found himself homeless on Christmas Eve at just 19 years old. There would have been very few options available to him if not for Step by Step's Supported Independence Flats. He went from homeless to housed in just one hour.
Caroline's Story
Caroline approached our Youth AIMS advice service after losing her job and falling into rent arrears. We we able to give her advice and funding to get back into work and move on.
Alisha's Story
Alisha’s world fell apart when her nan died from COVID-19. Not only did she lose someone she loved dearly, but she lost her stability, her mentor and her home. Living with her nan was all Alisha knew. She found herself lost, confused and homeless.
Daniel's Story
Daniel became homeless when his relationship with his family broke down. Our Supported Lodgings service matched him with a host family. But when a member of that family developed COVID-19 symptoms, we had to quickly find alternative arrangements.
James' Story
James is a trustee for Step by Step, but his involvement with the charity started 10 years ago when he found himself homeless, abandoned by his alcoholic mother. He shares his story and just how he has come so far.
Faheem's Story
When Faheem came to Step by Step as an asylum-seeking child, he was frightened and confused. STEP Worker Natasha Nazir tells how she has seen him grow into a confident young man.
Tara's Story
Tara had a lot to contend with at just 20 years old. Her brother was diagnosed with cancer and she had nowhere to call home. At Step by Step, we were able to offer her accommodation, support and the chance of a brighter future.
Luca's Story
When Luca was referred to our Supported Lodgings service, he was struggling to get his life together and was without a permanent place to live. Luca found himself sofa surfing with no stability and no prospect of addressing his drug misuse and other issues.
Dora's Story
Dora arrived in the UK as a refugee following the death of her mother and brother at a young age. She had nowhere to call home but fortunately we were able to help.
Jack's Story
Jack was unable to live with his mum as she wasn't able to find permanent accommodation. He presented himself to our Youth AIMS drop-in advice service where he was able to receive support and look at the next steps available to him.
Sam's Story
Sam was made homeless when her mum asked her to leave the family home. She lived with her sister temporarily but it was never intended to be a long-term solution. Our Supported Lodgings service was able to help.
Holly's Story
Holly was at risk of homelessness when her relationship with her parents broke down. She moved into Foyer accommodation, but struggled in a group living environment. Supported Lodgings was the ideal solution.
Mia's Story
Mia had always had a difficult relationship with her mum. From the age of 13, she was regularly being kicked out of home and finding herself sofa surfing, moving from one friend to another and with no stability in her life.
