Tyler's Story

Before Tyler was referred to The Bridge, he was sofa surfing for around a year and stuck in a cycle with bad mental health- he wanted to get back into work but didn’t know where to start. Sharing his story, Tyler said “I felt like I wouldn’t get anywhere, and it felt hard to get housed”.

“My worker at Universal Credit told me about the YES Project and referred me to the service. I didn’t know if it would work for me. I

assumed it would be one meeting and then I would get left to do paperwork on my own, which would be a long process due to me being at the bottom of the list for a property. But then I started working with my support worker from The Bridge on the YES Project, which made me more optimistic. A few months in, I felt a lot better- I trusted that my worker would help me”.

“Not only did we apply for a property through filling out forms together, as my worker helped with the housing application, it moved way faster than I could have thought due to the hard work and help from my worker”.

Tyler was then offered his own flat, where his worker secured his rent in advance and relevant furniture such as a bed and a fridge. Speaking about this process, his support worker said: “Tyler made it clear to me that he was anxious about this next stage as he had never had his own tenancy. So I worked with Tyler to set up his utilities and direct debits”.

Within this time, Tyler’s mental health support was also a focus. “My worker signed me up to Mental Health Matters to support with my mental health. Together we also signed up to my new GP, as I have several medical issues that I need support with”.

Once Tyler was set up in his new accommodation and had the right support for his mental health, together they looked at his employability skills by updating his CV and signing up to groups at Leicestershire Cares. Tyler is now applying for jobs in his local area.

Reflecting on his journey, Tyler said: “Without the support from my worker, I would not have got anywhere. Now, I feel more positive about the future”.