Musician Pete Williams, formerly of Dexys Midnight Runners, has supported Shelter for many years.

Thank you Pete Williams for your support and an absolutely gorgeous song, Road. Download it here: petewilliamsmusic.com/road

The track has been released free of charge, and those who'd like to make a donation to help us keep defending the right to a safe home, you can do so here: petewilliamsmusic.com/road

Challenging is a podcast by Shelter reflecting on the ambitious and life-changing service run with Birmingham Changing Futures Together, that helped people with multiple and complex needs out of homelessness.

For four years we ran a unique and life-changing project called the Lead Worker Peer Mentor Service, in partnership between Birmingham Voluntary Service Council, SIFA Fireside and Birmingham Mind.

This was part of a programme called Birmingham Changing Futures Together, one of twelve projects funded by the National Lottery Community Fund, to create better support for people with multiple and complex needs.

The idea was simple and two-fold:

One: support people with a mix of complex needs, every step of the way. From doctors' appointments to court hearings, to just having a regular coffee.

Two: hire people who’ve experienced a combination of issues such as homelessness, substance misuse, mental health needs, and offending - and have them support people going through the same things. If you’ve been there, you know the way out.

We hope by end of the series, you’ll appreciate that programmes like this are important and life-changing. We also hope you’ll feel galvanised to help us keep doing this work, because it’s vital.

Read the full social cost-benefit analysis of the Lead Worker Peer Mentor service shltr.org.uk/ifj

Some of our celebrity friends have a favour to ask...

Welcome to Challenging, a podcast by Shelter reflecting on the ambitious and life-changing service run with Birmingham Changing Futures Together, that helped people with multiple and complex needs out of homelessness.

For four years we ran a unique and life-changing project called the Lead Worker Peer Mentor Service, in partnership between Birmingham Voluntary Service Council, SIFA Fireside and Birmingham Mind.

This was part of a programme called Birmingham Changing Futures Together, one of twelve projects funded by the National Lottery Community Fund, to create better support for people with multiple and complex needs.

The idea was simple and two-fold:

One: support people with a mix of complex needs, every step of the way. From doctors' appointments to court hearings, to just having a regular coffee.

Two: hire people who’ve experienced a combination of issues such as homelessness, substance misuse, mental health needs, and offending - and have them support people going through the same things. If you’ve been there, you know the way out.

We hope by end of the series, you’ll appreciate that programmes like this are important and life-changing. We also hope you’ll feel galvanised to help us keep doing this work, because it’s vital.

Read the full social cost-benefit analysis of the Lead Worker Peer Mentor service http://shltr.org.uk/ifj

Welcome to Challenging, a podcast by Shelter reflecting on the ambitious and life-changing service run with Birmingham Changing Futures Together, that helped people with multiple and complex needs out of homelessness.

Each year, usually in October, the Office of National Statistics releases figures on deaths of people experiencing homelessness. In 2018, there were an estimated 726 deaths of homeless people in England and Wales, 129 more deaths than in 2017. The increase, says the ONS, is statistically significant and represents the largest year-to-year increase in estimated deaths since the time series began in 2013.

Behind those statistics, there are real people. People with childhood memories, favourite songs, funny stories, a certain way they liked a cup of tea, dreams and aspirations. We did lose people during the four years of the Lead Worker Peer Mentor Service, and we wanted to share some of their stories with you; the happy, the sad, and the downright hilarious.

Read the full social cost-benefit analysis of the Lead Worker Peer Mentor service http://shltr.org.uk/ifj

Thank you for listening, and thank you so much to everyone who contributed their time and expertise, not only to this podcast, but to the Lead Worker Peer Mentor Service, run with Birmingham Changing Futures Together.

A special thank you to the famous Shelter supporters who lent their voices to the podcast; Benjamin Zephaniah, Julie Walters, Robert Rinder, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Russell Brand, and Adam Kay.

Challenging was created and produced by Shelter colleagues, Christine Grover, Lee Demetriou, Colette Carter, Tora Soderlind and Becky Brynolf.

Welcome to Challenging, a podcast by Shelter reflecting on the ambitious and life-changing service run with Birmingham Changing Futures Together, that helped people with multiple and complex needs out of homelessness.

In this final episode wrapping up the series, we ask, now what… are you going to do about it?

We brought back some people you’ve heard previously on the podcast to tell us what they think could and should happen next. As well as taking in what they say, we encourage you to challenge yourself, and think about what you could do in your life to influence change.

Read the full social cost-benefit analysis of the Lead Worker Peer Mentor service http://shltr.org.uk/ifj

Thank you for listening, and thank you so much to everyone who contributed their time and expertise, not only to this podcast, but to the Lead Worker Peer Mentor Service, run with Birmingham Changing Futures Together.

A special thank you to the famous Shelter supporters who lent their voices to the podcast; Benjamin Zephaniah, Julie Walters, Robert Rinder, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Russell Brand, and Adam Kay.

Challenging was created and produced by Shelter colleagues, Christine Grover, Lee Demetriou, Colette Carter, Tora Soderlind and Becky Brynolf.

A special thank you to writer Adam Kay for introducing this episode.

Welcome to Challenging, a podcast by Shelter reflecting on the ambitious and life-changing service run with Birmingham Changing Futures Together, that helped people with multiple and complex needs out of homelessness.

In this bonus episode, you’ll hear a conversation between Colette, Lee and Paddy.

Colette helped Paddy out of multiple complex issues, and he went on to work at Shelter to do the same for others. Lee was Paddy’s sponsor. They’ve come together to talk about their time together on the Lead Worker Peer Mentor service, their experiences with substances, mental health and recovery, their childhoods, what life is like now, and what needs to happen to keep helping people.

If you like putting the world to rights, we think you’ll like this one.

Paddy and Colette’s video: ‘Keep a Good Thing Going’ http://shltr.org.uk/ih5

Changes with Annie Mac, featuring Paddy: http://shltr.org.uk/ih6

Colette’s blog for Shelter: http://shltr.org.uk/ih7

Read the full social cost-benefit analysis of the Lead Worker Peer Mentor service shltr.org.uk/ifj

If you’re enjoying this podcast, we’d be really grateful if you rated and reviewed it on your favourite podcatcher. Doing so helps ensure this is heard by even more supporters, and even more housing and support professionals, and that helps us in our mission to keep the work of the Lead Worker Peer Mentor service going.

A special thank you to comedian Russell Brand for introducing this episode.

Welcome to Challenging, a podcast by Shelter reflecting on the ambitious and life-changing service run with Birmingham Changing Futures Together, that helped people with multiple and complex needs out of homelessness.

If this is the only episode of Challenging you listen to, you’ve picked a good one.

In one true story of someone we’ve helped, all the things we’ve talked about over the past eight episodes are brought together.

Someone experiencing homelessness, mental health issues, substance misuse and offending behaviour; every one of the multiple and complex needs.

The story shows client-led recovery, holistic approaches, collaboration, and truly understanding what they’re going through, helping turn their life around with knowledge you couldn’t ever learn on a training course. You’ve been there, so you know the way out.

For Tara’s privacy and that of her family’s, we’ve changed her name for this podcast.

Read the full social cost-benefit analysis of the Lead Worker Peer Mentor service shltr.org.uk/ifj

If you’re enjoying this podcast, we’d be really grateful if you rated and reviewed it on your favourite podcatcher. Doing so helps ensure this is heard by even more supporters, and even more housing and support professionals, and that helps us in our mission to keep the work of the Lead Worker Peer Mentor service going.

A special thank you to actress Nikki Amuka-Bird for introducing this episode.

Welcome to Challenging, a podcast by Shelter reflecting on the ambitious and life-changing service run with Birmingham Changing Futures Together, that helped people with multiple and complex needs out of homelessness.

In this episode we’re talking about Liaison & Diversion, a service that provides intervention to people in contact with the criminal justice system who are identified as having complex needs.

Both Liaison and Diversion, and Shelter worked together in that multi-agency approach, as part of Birmingham Changing Futures Together.

We wanted to spend an episode focusing on this brilliant service that is helping so many people in the criminal justice system, by adopting the Peer Mentor model.

Read the full social cost-benefit analysis of the Lead Worker Peer Mentor service shltr.org.uk/ifj

If you’re enjoying this podcast, we’d be really grateful if you rated and reviewed it on your favourite podcatcher. Doing so helps ensure this is heard by even more supporters, and even more housing and support professionals, and that helps us in our mission to keep the work of the Lead Worker Peer Mentor service going.

A special thank you to Judge Robert Rinder for introducing this episode.

Read the full social cost-benefit analysis of the Lead Worker Peer Mentor service shltr.org.uk/ifj

Welcome to Challenging, a podcast by Shelter reflecting on the ambitious and life-changing service run with Birmingham Changing Futures Together, that helped people with multiple and complex needs out of homelessness.

In this episode, we're talking about the power of collaboration. During the four years the service ran, a lot of collaborative work took place; in the partnerships between Lead Workers and Peer Mentors, and between organisations.

The partnerships meant life-changing results for people with Multiple and Complex Needs, but it also meant systemic change that would help even more people in the long term.

If you’re enjoying this podcast, we’d be really grateful if you rated and reviewed it on your favourite podcatcher. Doing so helps ensure this is heard by even more supporters, and even more housing and support professionals, and that helps us in our mission to keep the work of the Lead Worker Peer Mentor service going.

Welcome to Challenging, a podcast by Shelter reflecting on the ambitious and life-changing service run with Birmingham Changing Futures Together, that helped people with multiple and complex needs out of homelessness.

This week's episode is about barriers and gaps; systemic and personal/interpersonal. We'll talk to people who were involved in the Lead Worker Peer Mentor service, who worked hard to overcome barriers and close gaps, not just in their clients lives but in their own lives too. Those people have gone on to continue working in support services and will touch on the work that still needs to be done.

Earl and Sammer have gone onto some exciting work in the NHS, which you'll hear more about in a later episode. Kevin is from the Liasion & Diversion service, and Jan is our Learning and Evaluation Coordinator, AKA the man with the stats.

Read the full social cost-benefit analysis of the Lead Worker Peer Mentor service http://shltr.org.uk/ifj

If you’re enjoying this podcast, we’d be really grateful if you rated and reviewed it on your favourite podcatcher. Doing so helps ensure this is heard by even more supporters, and even more housing and support professionals, and that helps us in our mission to keep the work of the Lead Worker Peer Mentor service going.

A special thank you to Dame Julie Walters for introducing this episode.

Read the full social cost-benefit analysis of the Lead Worker Peer Mentor service http://shltr.org.uk/ifj

If you’re enjoying this podcast, we’d be really grateful if you rated and reviewed it on your favourite podcatcher. Doing so helps ensure this is heard by even more supporters, and even more housing and support professionals, and that helps us in our mission to keep the work of the Lead Worker Peer Mentor service going.

Welcome to Challenging, a podcast by Shelter reflecting on the ambitious and life-changing service run with Birmingham Changing Futures Together, that helped people with multiple and complex needs out of homelessness.

This week we're looking at mental health and trauma. Mental health issues can originate from trauma, but also can be impacted by other complex needs, such as substance misuse. It takes a multi-agency approach to unravel that. 

That's why today you'll hear a lot from people who worked in the Liaison and Diversion service, which provides intervention to people in contact with the criminal justice system who are identified as having complex needs. Both Liaison and Diversion, and Shelter worked together in that multi-agency approach, as part of Birmingham Changing Futures Together.

We’ll talk to someone we helped about her experiences with mental health, and the stress that comes from having your issues compartmentalised, rather than treated holistically.

A quick warning - you may hear somethings that are upsetting.