BHT Sussex is part of an alliance of organisations in West Sussex who work together to empower people to improve their mental health and wellbeing called Pathfinder. Pathfinder prides itself on its volunteer Peer Mentors – people who use their lived experiences of mental health challenges to create a supportive environment where their clients can discuss their needs, as well as work towards achieving their goals and aspirations. Clarrissa used to attend Peer Mentor groups as a client, soon becoming a Peer Mentor herself. This is her story: “When I first came to Crawley, I was in a really bad … Read more

BHT Sussex’s Immigration Legal Service has helped hundreds of refugees and asylum seekers with legal support. Many of those we work with are ‘unaccompanied minors’; young people and children who have often endured unimaginable suffering, and who have no adults to look after their welfare when they arrive in the UK. We provide a crucial service for some of the most vulnerable people in our community, including victims of trafficking and domestic violence. This Is YL’s story. YL was living in Vietnam with her parents when tragically, when she was just 14, they both died within a short time of … Read more

For some it comes as a surprise that BHT Sussex runs an immigration and asylum legal service. The overwhelming majority of those we work with are ‘unaccompanied minors’, young people and children arriving in the UK with no adults to look after their welfare.

Baddar came to the UK in 2008 aged 15 fleeing persecution in Afghanistan. His initial asylum claim was refused. We assisted him with a further application to allow him to remain in the UK but this was also refused. After this, there have been numerous appeals with every decision seeming to go against him. We gathered evidence in support of his claim to show that he is particularly vulnerable as he has a learning difficulty and suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and depression.

We gathered country evidence to support the fact that he would be at risk if he returned to Afghanistan.

Many clients who seek help from First Base, our day centre for people who are sleeping rough, have multiple and complex needs. When helping a person move away from rough sleeping and into more secure accommodation, the case workers at First Base consider all the physical and mental health needs a client may have. This approach helped Jim get off the streets. Read his story below. “Before I came to First Base, I had lost my supported accommodation and was rough sleeping on the streets. On my first visit to First Base, one of their case workers asked me if … Read more

Shore House provides accommodation and 24-hour intensive support to people with a range of mental health diagnoses, and those experiencing the effects of complex trauma. To help improve the mental and physical wellbeing of our clients, we offer personalised programmes of support which include activities for clients to engage in. One client, Dylan, found that engaging in the activities offered aided their recovery and helped them open up to staff and their community. This is their story. Prior to arriving at Shore House, Dylan had experienced multiple hospitalisations and difficulties with the law. They were also estranged from their family … Read more

Support for those in their old age looks different for everyone. This is why our East Sussex Floating Support Service individually tailors support to each person we serve. Stan’s case exemplifies the importance of this way of working. This is his story. Stan is a 90-year-old retired barrister who was referred to our East Sussex Floating Support Service by the NHS Community Frailty Practitioner Service, following his discharge from hospital after a fall. Stan is widowed, has a history of falls, and had recently moved into a sheltered housing scheme. However, the scheme had no floor coverings, contributing to his … Read more

Struggling to find employment despite incredible effort can have a big impact on someone’s health and wellbeing. This was the case with Scotty, who found it difficult to identify a clear path into work after being failed by multiple services. This, coupled with the difficulty of managing a chronic illness, made Scotty feel hopeless. However, after working with BHT Sussex’s Intern Programme, who supported Scotty and his specific needs, Scotty found a way through. This is his story. Feeling hopeless “My life was pretty bleak for many years, and I did not see much of a future ahead of me. … Read more

Increasingly we are working with people who are in work or who become homeless having lost their job. Our Accommodation for Work Project was set up to help people like Enes. He worked as a chef and lived in shared accommodation in Brighton. When the job came to an end, he struggled to find another job. His landlord would not accept housing benefit and he quickly became homeless.

He slept rough in doorways, struggling to find work and accommodation. He made a homeless application with the council and was referred to our Accommodation for Work Project. This was the first time in his life that Enes had been homeless. When he came for his interview, it was clear that he was in a state of shock. Mindful that he was rough sleeping, project staff made it possible for him to view a room the same day. Fortunately for Enes, a room had become vacant just the day before.

For most of us we get our identity and status from what we do. BHT Sussex’s Intern Programme was set up to prepare people with a history of homelessness, mental ill health or addictions to make that transition from unemployment into work.

Charlie is a 32 year old white British male. He was born with congenital hand deformities, as well as structural defects which cause lifelong incontinence issues. Charlie was bullied during his school years and began using alcohol and cannabis aged 14. In his early 20’s he found employment as a telesales advisor and an early year’s child practitioner. However, each job didn’t last more than 12 months due to his increasing substance misuse.

Over the last couple of years, BHT Sussex’s Addiction Services have noticed an increase in the number of ‘second generation’ addicts. They were children who grew up with one, or both, parents with a severe alcohol and/or drug problem. They often suffered extreme neglect and, in most cases, severe trauma.

The nature of the work that we do at both the Detox Support Project and at the Recovery Project is to help clients to address safely the legacy of their core needs being unmet as children. By doing so, we reduce the chances of those issues becoming triggers for relapse, and they are able to rebuild their lives with the skills and self-belief they were not given as children.

Brendon is a 31-year old alcohol and cocaine addict who recently completed treatment within our Addiction Services.

Navigating the benefits system can be incredibly difficult, which is why our staff in the East Sussex Floating Support Service are highly trained and knowledgeable about the system. This allows us to help many people across East Sussex who are struggling to access benefits and ultimately improve their quality of life. One such person is Dinah, who came to us for help accessing more financial support. This is her story. The Initial Challenge Dinah is a homeowner who lives with a variety of health conditions, including osteoarthritis, diabetes, hypertension, mobility issues, and has a history of falls. Due to having … Read more

Mia, a 75-year-old Spanish woman, was living in sheltered accommodation and had been facing significant financial difficulties for approximately five years due to an ongoing issue with her National Insurance (NI) number. This issue caused her benefits to be repeatedly stopped and reinstated, leading to substantial gaps in income. Without consistent benefits, Mia fell behind on her rent, accruing significant arrears, and was at risk of homelessness. This is her story. The Initial Challenge The root cause of the problem was an error made when Mia first registered for benefits: she was assigned the NI number of another individual with … Read more