Velena's Story

Joined by Velena Brown, Service Manager for P3’s Wolverhampton Navigator and Street Outreach Team, we get insight into the realities of street outreach, the challenges our teams face and what it’s really like to work for P3. 

Velena starts by saying, “What we do in Wolverhampton is very bespoke. We have two emergency accommodations and two complex needs accommodations available, so we can support people who are experiencing rough sleeping or at risk of it. What we do differently is give people that time to think about what their options are, giving them all the information and the knowledge so that they can make an informed decision for themselves. We support them with accessing services [both externally] and internally with other services across P3.” 

Velena explains that a collaborative approach is central to delivering high-quality support across the area. She adds: “Within Wolverhampton, it’s [all] about the partnership work so that we can [provide] the best outcome for the people we support.”  

Asked about the highlight of her role, Velena said: “[The highlight is] the people we support and listening to them, letting them know that they’ve got opportunities available to them. I’ve got a saying that this is their journey and we’re just along for the ride – they’re in the driving seat and we’re just passengers. We’re just here to provide the skills, the tools and the knowledge.” 

Overcoming Challenges  

Turning the conversation towards common challenges seen across the housing sector in Wolverhampton, Velena talks about accommodation availability. She explains, “As much as we’ve got four 24-hour supported accommodations and our move-on accommodation, [a pathway option between temporary and permanent housing], there’s not the long-term accommodation that we need for people to move on to. That then blocks up the vacancies that come available within our services.  

Velena adds that at P3, we’re one of the few services in Wolverhampton that provide tailored support for people facing complex barriers, including those with offending histories. We even support individuals involved in arson, focusing on the circumstances behind their actions and how we can help while managing risk so that the people we support can work through what they need to at their own pace.

This philosophy plays strongly into P3’s trauma-informed approach across its support services. Velena says: “What’s good about P3 is that we have PIE [psychologically informed environment] and TIC [trauma-informed care] training and that gives us understanding of the people we support and the challenges they face.”  

Velena explains that the PIE and TIC approaches focus on understanding why the people we work alongside face challenges, rather than defining them by labels, categories or the challenges themselves. Part of developing a support plan for someone involves understanding how past trauma can trigger certain behaviours and then how to reset that.  

Reframing the approach to disengagement, Velena says, “Our job is to be creative about how we can overcome [challenges together] and give the people we support an understanding about the challenges they face within their life.” 

Velena adds that we must rethink the way we build trust within the sector. She expands: “It’s about time… a lot of [the people we support] have been on this journey for a [long] time and there may be hurdles they’ve faced that are sometimes down to the services they’ve approached for support.”  

“The work our Outreach team do is building that trust and that rapport back. So, that’s why I say time is everything, time for them to process that information and see what’s best for them, because sometimes they are not ready to take that step. We’re here to let them know that we will be here when they are ready.”  

She adds: “Anybody who’s looking for support, please come to our service at 43 School Street and just have a chat, because sometimes that’s all you need. Even if it’s us signposting you to a relevant service or overcoming those stigmas around 24-hour services. If you’re hesitant about going into accommodation, we can show you around [in advance and] introduce you to the staff. Ultimately, we take an understanding of what those barriers are – we just need to know what they are first. Our most important thing is putting people first; our services are run for the individuals who access our services.”  

Velena finds that at the heart of P3 is its focus on providing both opportunity and guidance. The number of times an individual engages with the service should not be seen as a setback; rather, another opportunity to seek help. It’s clear that this philosophy is central to Velena’s role, her passion for helping people clearly coming across during our conversation.  

Working for P3   

As a service manager, Velena supports her team of 11 colleagues. Talking about her colleagues, she says, “Our team is fantastic! Our team [support] a lot of complex individuals, which can be emotionally draining, [and it’s important] that they know you have to look after yourself first for you to be at your best to support other individuals.” 

Velena adds: “I’ve worked for P3 for seven years now and it’s probably the most rewarding job that I’ve ever worked in… How creative we are, how passionate each member is: That motivates you and drives you.”  

Shouting out to one of P3’s longest-standing support workers, Jim Corry, Velena says: “Jim has been an inspiration to me, I wouldn’t be half the manager, half the support worker, that I have been if I didn’t have that drive and compassion that’s been filtered down to me.” 

Talking about people who want to apply for a role within P3, Velena is encouraging: “If you’ve got kindness and compassion as values within you, [then you’re the sort of person we want].  Skills P3 can train, values we can’t. And that’s what we need: people with an understanding, non-judgemental attitude… We have an opportunity here for you to try.” 

Closing our interview with what to expect when visiting P3 in Wolverhampton, Velena says: “You can expect a bubbly, fantastic environment [with] passionate support workers who are here to support you and encourage you. We’re here to be creative and any barriers that we do face, we don’t see them as a hindrance, but as a challenge. So just give us a try, whether that be regarding recruitment or support.”