What are the main issues faced by Peter?

AS1- Case study

SWK3023 Case Study-Peter

Peter is a 53 year old man who had been rough sleeping for well over ten years. He was a wanderer who moved around London and had no connection to any borough. Many outreach teams had tried to work with him but he was insistent that he wanted no help or support and was happy as he was.

He was a prolific shoplifter with a record of 57 prison stays, the main reason behind this being his addiction to crack, heroin and alcohol.

Due to his time on the streets and his substance use he was also very physically unwell, but refused offers of treatment. For most of his time on the streets he did not have a benefit claim running and relied on handouts and the proceeds from his shoplifting to supply all his needs.

Outreach teams persistently offered him support and, one morning, after a particularly cold night, he finally agreed to use a severe weather emergency bed. This began a line of communication and relationship building that led to him making a successful benefits claim and being housed in Arlington House in April 2014.

Due to his long time on the streets Peter found it very hard to settle and just two weeks after he moved in to the hostel he was evicted for threatening behaviour. However he had managed to access support around his drug use, was on a methadone prescription for the first time and had stopped using drugs. His alcohol consumption had increased however and was a contributing factor in his deteriorating behaviour.

He returned to a hostel, after a short spell on the street, this time Endsleigh Garden. He lasted three months before again being evicted, this time for violence.

Questions for report:

What are the main issues faced by Peter?

How would you prioritise them?

What options does Peter have regarding his homeless status?

Outline the policy and legislation that you would refer to when giving advice to Peter.

What capacity does Peter have to make decisions about himself?

If you could, what approach would you take to supporting Peter and people in his situation?