Communities Minister, Gordon Lyons MLA, saw first-hand the benefit that supported accommodation provides for homeless people recovering from substance abuse, when he visited Gray’s Court in north Belfast.
Opened in the year 2000, Gray’s Court is one of the services provided by the Presbyterian Church in Ireland’s Council for Social Witness, the PCI’s social care arm, and is managed by Carlisle House, PCI’s Substance Use Treatment Centre.
Welcoming the Minister to Gray’s Court, Project Worker, Frances Craig said, “In the 1990s, our colleagues in Carlisle House identified a need for supported accommodation for people in early recovery from substance misuse and who were homeless, or living in circumstances detrimental to their recovery. As a result, the service at Gray’s Court began 25 years ago and has provided help and support to over 300 men and women since then.
“We have seven fully furnished apartments and as a regional service we accept referrals from across Northern Ireland, providing accommodation for people over the age of 18 who are registered homeless and have previously engaged in treatment for substance misuse. An important proviso is that they wish to continue their recovery and remain substance free,” she said.
Funded by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive’s Supporting People programme, and run in partnership with Woven Housing Association, Mrs Craig said that residents stay for up to two years and are assisted in developing their own personal support plan, which includes attending weekly support groups at Gray’s Court, or with their initial treatment unit. “Comprehensive support services, and individualised care, helps to empower residents to develop the skills, confidence, and resources needed to live independently and thrive in recovery. Access to education, voluntary work and employment are also important, and are key elements of the Support Plan.”
Speaking after his visit, Minister Lyons said, “Through the Department for Communities’ Supporting People programme, administered by the NIHE, we are able to fund a number of supported housing services across Northern Ireland, including Gray’s Court. These services demonstrate how individuals in need can be supported to live independent and empowered lives, given the right support, guidance and care within a safe environment.”
Frances Craig concluded by saying, “The overall goal is that people have this two-year space in a safe and therapeutic environment to reconnect with their family, community, and faith, while maintaining a substance-free life. Our work is undertaken within a Christian ethos, which underpins our service, compassion, respect and acceptance of the men and women we support, which, I hope, is a powerful social witness of the gospel.”
“That said, it is a place that has seen many lives changed and turned around, and I hope that the minister found his visit today informative and useful. A cornerstone of that recovery, however, is access to housing when they leave us. We see this as not just shelter, but a home that can provide the stability that is necessary for recovery, growth, and reintegration into the community where they can flourish.”
Caroline Yeomans, Council for Social Witness Deputy Director also met the Minister at Gray’s Court. “We very much welcomed Mr Lyon’s visit today, and his interest in our work. As a social care provider, we look after over 300 people across our many sites. Whether they are homes for the elderly, residential care for those with physical and intellectual learning disability, or temporary accommodation for offenders, all our homes and community-based programmes like Gray’s Court, are about meeting people’s needs as we put our faith into practical action. It is an important service and I want to pay tribute to Frances, Julia and the whole team for the work that they do,” Mrs Yeoman said.
