(Fictitious names have been used throughout to protect identities)
I interviewed Ranco as a “Walk in” appointment. He was so, clean cut and well-presented that it was difficult to believe he was homeless until someone else later corroborated this fact.
Ranco was Eastern European and had a weak grasp of English. He said that he had been helped here before and his main concern was that he had been refused Universal Credit as his Passport was with the Home Office and the benefit couldn’t be awarded, until his immigration issue was resolved. He was insistent that he wanted a Solicitor so that his status could be regularized “I want to work”, he said. He also wanted a Bank account, he gave me to understand that he had argued with the Bank Manager, because the cards which he had ordered had not arrived, then his account was closed.
I submitted a referral to an organisation that Manna uses for immigration issues and topped up his Oyster card as he informed me that he needed to sign on with the immigration department weekly.
In subsequent interviews Ranco gave me information revealing more serious and intertwined issues. He informed me that he had outstanding fines to pay and that the Salvation Army had been helping him pay these. He had missed his last payment instalment because he had no funds and the Salvation Army weren’t helping him anymore and he was worried about the consequences of missing the payment dates. He wanted to know whether Manna could help him, I told him that it was very unlikely and I was sure that I would not be able to apply for a Grant for this matter either.
I learned he also had a Community Service Order, from what I could gather he said he had harassed a Waitress who wouldn’t sell him some Coffee, he conceded that he had been drinking beforehand. He seemed to brush this off as a minor incident but it must have been serious to result in a fine and I was concerned that this might also impact on his application to get settled status in the country. I also began to wonder who I was dealing with because his presentation was always affable and polite but this evidence was telling an increasingly different story.
I called HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) and learned that he had two sets of fines which amounted to a few hundred pounds and these had been amalgamated now and transferred to another geographical office. I managed to secure a “stay “on this case. His ability to pay would be revised in a few weeks’ time and an action plan devised going forward. The Salvation Army had paid £100 towards these and there were a few hundred pounds outstanding
I also booked an appointment to go with him to the nearest branch of his bank, to sort out the issue of the cards. My Director did ask how safe I thought I might be, alone with this gentleman outside of the building; I felt I had risk assessed this pretty well, we were going to be in public spaces all the time. When we arrived at the bank, we were attended to by someone who eventually told me in measured tones that the bank had given instructions that the account was to be closed. I haven’t heard of such a thing before and my Director’s earlier question began resounding in my head as the number of “Warning” signs around this client were increasing.
At another appointment Ranco advised that he had an upcoming court case in another part of the country but didn’t have the transport fare, he wanted me to call the Solicitor who had dealt with him before, as she had asked that the case be dismissed. I called her on his behalf and she communicated that the case had been dismissed.
Ranco came one day waving a food voucher from Pola, the Building Manager for a church who had befriended Ranco. He was pleased but also looked worried asking if I would call Pola because he had offered to pay some of the fines and Ranco wanted to confirm this. Pola told me he had been working with Ranco for years – Ranco had seemingly suffered some type of trauma which caused him to dislike being near others in a night shelter for example but the Home Office had disputed his claims that he was a modern slavery victim, hence his present homelessness.
Ranco had been sleeping rough in the grounds of Palo’s church where he was known for drinking and being abusive to Congregants and complaints had been made about his behaviour. Pola had NOT volunteered to pay the fines but had referred Ranco to Streetlink on a few occasions without result and found a solicitor who would research an application to regularize his status and once this was achieved Ranco, could claim benefits and housing an end goal which Pola was keen on.
We had decided to apply to a different bank for Ranco but he told me he already had one and they too had not sent along his bank cards. I checked and it was an online company but Ranco had not uploaded the necessary ID documents to complete his application, he did not seem to understand this needed doing so I supported him in this and re- ordered his banking cards
“I have so many problems” he would remark frequently. As he had mentioned that he had been drinking when he had an argument with the Bank Manager and the Waitress, I told him that he had to find a way to stop drinking (lack of funds might prove useful here!!) I could see that this coping mechanism had wreaked havoc already. Much help and inter agency working has been deployed for Ranco. I see my role so far and going forward as helping to navigate a rocky pathway, achieving small successes for this enigmatic gentleman.