Peter

In the five years since he moved to Sanctuary Supported Living’s Bransby Court in Middlesbrough, Peter, 56, has received the support he needed to start to turn his life around.

Previously, Peter was living independently, but he was regularly taken advantage of by others for their own gain, which led to him becoming addicted to alcohol and unable to maintain his tenancy or manage his money. Since moving into his flat at Bransby Court, a supported housing service for people with mental health needs, Peter has worked closely with the kind and dedicated team, who have provided personalised support to help him improve his personal situation and achieve his aims and goals.

Sanctuary Supported Living’s staff have supported Peter with all aspects of daily living skills, including support with maintaining his tenancy, managing his finances, looking after his new home, building his self-confidence, and keeping himself safe and well. He has also been working with Bransby Court staff and the local Parkside Community Mental Health team to receive regular guidance and support around managing his mental health needs and reducing his alcohol intake.

Peter is well-regarded by both the staff and the other tenants at Bransby Court. He has made lots of friends and often visits other tenants’ flats for a chat. He also regularly attends house meetings, where residents have their say on how the service is run and make suggestions for any improvements that can be made.

In his personal life, Peter has also made big improvements. He now successfully manages his weekly budget, plans ahead for his food shopping, and has greatly reduced his alcohol consumption. But he is most proud of having proved to both himself and his son that he is taking steps in the right direction.

For two years prior, Peter’s son had distanced himself due to Peter’s alcohol addiction. Since Peter began working with the team at Bransby Court to reduce his alcohol intake and improve his self-care, his son could see how much things had changed, and so he agreed to meet. They met up in Saltburn for the day and enjoyed lunch and a coffee together.