At First Stop we try to provide practical and emotional support to the people who come into our centre on a level that works for the individual and helps us to meet their expectations in finding options that can bring about appropriate resolutions to the problems they are facing.
We are here to help people breakdown the barriers that are preventing them moving forward to an independent life.
It means that while we have quite a set of tried and tested solutions to a number of problems that people may be experiencing, every individual is different and should be treated as such. We pride ourselves in building good relationships with our clients to ensure that what we are able to offer would be appropriate to them as a person and for the times when there is only one or two solutions we need to deliver those in a manner befitting the individual, their experiences and the emotions that they are going through. Sometimes we cannot change the course of what is happening but what we can do is support you through it and help you find peace with it so that you can move forward on a positive footing.
We have a range of resources that help the team to work with you and get to the bottom of what is happening. We have a number of telephones at the project for people to use so that you can access the agency you need to speak to without resulting in a phone bill that you may not be able to afford. We have a range of telephone numbers to the key agencies to ensure you get through to the right people and we are sat with you should you need us to take part in the conversation and help you represent yourself and ensure they understand your query and get to a solution.
Helping people to find accommodation can be a significant piece of work requiring several visits or a simple matter of spending an hour sharing all the potential solutions available in Darlington and making some phone calls to set up appointments. It could require a staged approach beginning with temporary accommodation to help you build a good accommodation history before moving forward into supported or other accommodation.
Our work is designed to fit around the skills and confidence of the person, we are their to guide and support in the areas that are needed and to encourage you in the areas that you can do for yourself. This is how our support works in every topic.