"Loss of hope is our biggest challenge"

"So what can we as frontline workers do? Well, there are practical solutions to solving someone's homelessness. We can assist or guide that person to find accommodation and address their most immediate needs.

"But giving someone hope – helping them to believe in their future – is a much bigger challenge. Where is the chapter in the training manual that tells us how to unstitch years of struggling to make ends meet on a low paid job or benefits, or the misery of unstable or unsafe housing? How do we promote optimism against the bleak realities of a poor coastal community with uneven economic growth and few opportunities?"

Let our clients lead the way

"We can start by offering a willing ear. We can really listen to an individual's story and understand how they came to be in the situation they're in. Being informed by the person themselves – and what they feel they need – helps us empower and motivate them so that they can start to self-manage their issues.

"And we can show compassion. With a growing caseload and not enough hours in the day, there is pressure to provide the necessary practical assistance and to move on to the next client who needs us."

The importance of compassion

"But it's compassion that will start to restore a person's faith in themselves and their trust in others. By showing compassion – being someone who cares – we can help people see that the world is not always as cruel as it seems and give them renewed hope for their future."

This blog comes from Ross Fisher-Smith, a member of Porchlight's community team