Rebuilding trust in those let down by system

Maybe you’ve walked into a shop where the music is too loud or have had a job interview where it felt like the panellists were trying to catch you out. These are all everyday examples of environments which have not been designed with your particular needs in mind. Perhaps you weren’t the target demographic of that shop, or the people who were conducting your interview were prioritising what they needed over what you needed. Whatever the reason, you end up leaving that situation feeling worse than when you came in.

My job – when I’m not covering my colleague Ewan Aitken’s column – is Senior Home Services Manager at Cyrenians. I oversee services run by staff members who are working with people experiencing some of the most acute forms of homelessness. Many of these people have been badly let down by systems and people who they should have been able to rely on. Understandably, when they end up at our door, it can take a while for them to be able to trust us.

It is in these settings that a psychologically informed environment (PIE) is fundamental to the outcome of our work. Years of research, lived experience and analysis has gone into designing the key principles of this approach but in the broadest of terms, a PIE means one that has considered the needs of the individual – working to their specifications, on their schedule. Done properly, this helps people feel truly seen and supported at a time when it is most crucial that they feel that way.

This does not always have to be complicated. For example, our Income Maximisation Worker, Denise Black, always asks clients where they feel most comfortable meeting and how they feel most comfortable communicating. This seems like a small thing, but for some, having support on their own terms is vital to rebuild their confidence and sense of their own agency.

In contrast, the garden at the Access Place in Edinburgh – where homeless people can find a range of services from housing to health to social work – is an entire space designed with the principles of PIE in mind. People experiencing homelessness are much more likely to have significant health problems compared to the rest of the community. But they also statistically find it much harder to access the help they need, when they need it – in part because the environments where that help is found typically do not necessarily meet their needs.

Having a garden where the staff can meet and talk to their clients more informally, or where people waiting for appointments can sit and chat, has transformed the way the Access Place has been able to offer their services. For many clients, this is a more approachable, less “institutional” and ultimately safer feeling environment where they can get the right help to build themselves back up.

Cyrenians are far from the only organisation implementing these principles. Many public services and charities are trying to ensure that their workplaces are psychologically informed – not just for the people they work with but for staff too. I know this can only be a good thing – I’ve seen the difference it can make with my own eyes.

Mike Wright is Senior Home Services Manager at Cyrenians