Our three Support Coordinators are key to the work we do at CTS – find out more from Angelika about what her job involves:
“In reality, no two days are exactly the same! When I get into work, I’ll check emails and my to-do list. There’s usually some paperwork to complete before our team of volunteers arrive. We then sit together for ‘Day Book’; a method of communicating client work we’ve done over the last week, an overview of any risks and way of delegating tasks to volunteers such as helping clients write C.V.’s or benefit applications.
At 10am, the Drop-in opens and our clients start to arrive. They can be cold, hungry and anxious, so they tell us the warmth of the day centre, a hot meal and seeing a friendly face, is very welcome. Some young homeless people walk around all night, rather than fear for their safety sleeping rough, so this is very tiring and stressful.
The Support Coordinators take it in turns to run the day centre. If am supervising that day, I check the kitchen, washing area, lounge, IT area and reception and ensure everything’s in place.
We each work with our clients, offering 121 appointments, which can focus on goal setting, training and psycho-education, or be a space for them to talk and be heard. This is one of my favourite things to do, where we can really tailor the one-hour sessions to meet their needs. Often, I meet and support clients at their appointments with a GP, probation services or Job Centre – going to these places can be really daunting (for anyone!).
When the day ends, volunteers and staff complete a debrief. This is a space to ensure well-being for the entire team. There is nothing I’ve ever done that’s been so challenging and utterly rewarding.”