What We Do
I don't get into trouble anymore; I've had my taste of prison. The people from Rainer were the only ones who came to see me.
Rainer young person
Young People's Stories
*Jason's story
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When Jason left prison at 21 he had nowhere to go. His home before jail was a blanket on the floor at friends' houses so he wasn't overly worried. His friends were drug users and he took heroin.
Jason was referred to Rainer when he left prison. He needed somewhere to live but his history of heroin use meant housing agencies couldn't and wouldn't help.
A visit to the council's homelessness office with his support worker returned several useful contacts and after a few phonecalls Jason had a room in shared accommodation.
Rainer then gave Jason support with training for employment and together he and his support worker looked at possible jobs.
He had enjoyed working in a factory but as he had lost his birth certificate he didn't have any form of identification, so was unable to apply for any vacancies.
Over the next couple of weeks Jason began turning up late for his appointments and then missing them. He was using heroin again. Rainer referred him to a drugs agency and made sure he went. His methadone treatment was increased.
Rainer sorted out a copy of his birth certificate and also bought Jason a mobile phone to make sure employers could contact him, which they soon did. Following an interview with a local factory Jason was starting his new job.
Rainer accessed funds for a bike and work clothing and two months later he is still working. Jason enjoys his job and with support is trying hard to overcome his problem with heroin.
*Alan's story
Project worker Julie Clough got a call from the manager of the Foyer Foundation where Rainer Wigan is based. A 16 year old called Alan was hearing voices telling him 'to do stupid things'.
Julie took him to the local GP that afternoon and then to the local mental health unit where an assessment was done. Alan was sectioned.
It was the culmination of a pressured life. Alan had been in care since the age of seven. He had switched between care homes, boarding schools and foster homes. In just one year he had experienced 13 different care placements.
At 12 he was sentenced to three years in prison for a serious street crime and served 24 months in a secure unit. After release he continued to offend, got involved in car crime and was convicted for drink driving. He became estranged from his family and during this time he began to use drugs, the start of years of amphetamine abuse.
Alan was kept in the mental hospital for 72 hours while a diagnosis of schizophrenia was made. He was released with medication and support from Rainer. A support worker accompanied him to all his follow-up appointments. He began counselling and reduced his drugs intake.
Rainer helped Alan find suitable accommodation after he had got in arrears with rent on his flat. A budget plan was written and he began to shop weekly and pay his bills and outstanding fines instead of throwing all his benefits at drugs and debts to mates.
He went to meet his mother again at her house. He visited his father, who he hadn't had any contact with for years, and introduced his Rainer support worker as the person "getting him sorted".
Alan is now in a stable relationship with a joint tenancy on a flat. He works full-time in a local factory, has remained crime-free for a year and sleeps a lot better.
*Lisa's story
Lisa, 16, was detained in custody over a weekend after injuring a police officer. The police had taken her to hospital under the Mental Health Act after she had taken an overdose of paracetamol.
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Lisa had recently been moved from a children's home she liked into a hotel in Northampton town centre.
Her mother was addicted to heroin and had abandoned Lisa after they had both moved down from Scotland. Lisa had got into using drugs and was being forced to sell them by her suppliers. She was also self-harming.
In court, Rainer and other agencies decided early intervention was needed to prevent a remand into custody and to give her the best chance of overcoming the issues she was facing.
A support plan including accommodation, health, education, training and employment was agreed with Lisa. She was referred to specialist health workers in the Youth Offending Team.
Lisa has stopped using drugs and self-harming and is on a beauty therapy course at college. She has a part-time job, a mentor who she sees each week and is in contact with Rainer on a daily basis.
Ari's story
Ari fled from Iraq three years ago when he was 17. He was transferred by immigration to live with other asylum seekers in Portsmouth. The rest of Ari's family, his brother and sister, still live in Iraq.
In Portsmouth Ari's social worker put him into contact with Rainer City Training. Ari spoke very little English, had no friends or family in the area and needed help to live independently and find employment.
Ari was placed on 'English for speakers of other languages' (EOSL) training and was matched with a mentor who helped build his self-esteem and made him feel less isolated. He completed a Jobseeker's course, computer courses, teamwork skills, City and Guilds Entry 1 in spoken English and successfully completed one month's work experience at Asda.
Rainer supported him with visits to the housing office and after being on the waiting list he now lives in a shared house.
Ari has become very independent. He is confident about speaking English in public when before he would hardly open his mouth. Although he is still finding it difficult to get full-time work he is hopeful that a job offer will come soon.
Ari puts his new-found confidence, good friends and employability down to being with Rainer. He continues to visit the service on a daily basis.
*Daniel's story
Daniel tells his story in his own words.
My friends and I used to hang around on the streets because there wasn't much else for us to do. It wasn't a gang thing, but when you hang around in a group it's easy to end up getting into trouble. It was just boredom.
We ended up fighting with other groups in the area. It was never really about anything in particular. It was more about keeping face. Then one time it just went too far. We saw a guy who we had had trouble with and we went after him. I was arrested for assault and spent 16 months in jail.
Being in jail was a massive wake-up call. I kept thinking 'is this where I want to spend my life?' So I did something about it. I did some courses while I was inside and made use of the time while I was there. I also got a mentor.
My mentor met up with me for a few hours each week when I got out of prison. She helped me with little things like talking about problems I was having and helping me deal with them in the right way. But she also helped me in my interview to get into college.
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Without her I don't think I would have got in. I'm looking forward to the future. I might even go to university. I also have a part-time job, which my mentor gave me the confidence to apply for. It means a lot to know she is giving her time to meet with me for free. She's there because she wants to be.
It's voluntary for me too. I got a mentor because I wanted one. I wanted to change but I needed support to do it. I have been out of prison for a year now and there's no way I'm going back.
*Name has been changed to protect identity
All photographs are posed by models.
