Emergency Accommodation

Hello my name is Dean and I am 17yrs old.

I became really ill because I started drinking too much. Eventually my mom and dad kicked me out.

I started drinking because I felt left out at home, my parents seemed to put all of their attention into my little sister and my other sister who has been ill and needed looking after. So I started drinking.

I had heard about Redditch Nightstop and went to them for some help. They interviewed me and found me a Host family to stay with. I was devastated that I could not return to my family home and I was really, really nervous about staying with people I did not know - I broke down in front of the staff and they did reassure me that it would be fine and it was. The staff took me there and introduced me to the family.

At first I stayed with a family in Evesham and then with a family in Redditch, Nightstop managed to keep me housed safely for about two weeks.

I felt completely devastated about being kicked out; I had to pack what I could to take with me to Nightstop. I lived out of this bag for 2 weeks. Luckily I was able to bath at the Host families' home, do my washing and they provided me with an evening meal and breakfast. One of the families took me out for the evening with them and made me feel really involved and comfortable.

I am really close to my mom and I really miss her, we try and talk everyday - Nightstoplet me use the phone to call her.

Each morning I would return to Nightstop where I would work with a member of staff who would help me to find somewhere to live.

They have arranged for me to have an interview with an organisation called supporting lives. This is a family home who house 3-4 young people who need support. The house is in Rubery.

To Date: I have moved into Supporting lives and it is going really well, I am still off the drink. I see my mom a bit now and I am hopeful my relationship will improve with my dad.

I plan to finish my college course, thanks to the support of Connexions and NEW college.