Link’s initiatives create #BrighterFutures

Link, one of Scotland’s largest housing and support organisations, is being featured on ITN Business programme Brighter Futures.

The news-style programme highlights services provided by LinkLiving, a trauma-informed health and wellbeing charity based in central Scotland.

The HoME (Help on Managing Everything) Project was one of the areas of support featured in the film.

The project came into being after housing officers identified a variety of issues that tenants struggle with where traditional housing services needed to be strengthened with a more intensive support programme.

Working together with Link housing teams, LinkLiving project workers provide needs-led intensive housing management assistance, enabling tenants to manage better and maintain their homes, settle into their communities, address and resolve any immediate housing crisis, and assess if they need ongoing specialist support.

The benefits of the initiative have been dramatic, including fewer evictions, tenants receiving the support they require and accessing all the welfare services available to them, as well as improving engagement between Link and the people involved.

The programme also highlights Link’s commitment to being trauma-informed organisation. Being trauma-informed means being able to recognise when somebody may be affected by trauma and working together to take into account the trauma and respond in a way which supports recovery, does no harm, and recognises and supports people’s resilience.

Link’s Chief Executive Jon Turner said: “It is great to see ITN Business highlighting through the Bright Futures programme the important and positive contribution the housing sector makes to tackle the real issues that families struggle with on a daily basis. The sector is full of incredible individuals working on projects like this every day and it is fantastic that Link’s work in this area is being featured in this national programme.

“This also builds nicely on our success at the Homes for Scotland Awards 2023, where Link won Housing Association of the Year and a modern housing development Bunston Grove in Greenock was awarded Housing Regeneration Project of the Year and Large Affordable Housing Development of the Year. These are exactly the kinds of positive community impacts I am hopeful will be featured on the wider Bright Futures programme.”

Sarah Smith, Link Group Communities Director and LinkLiving CEO, added: “I am particularly proud Bright Futures highlights LinkLiving’s trauma-informed approach. It allows us to best meet the needs of its customers as well as providing the best possible customer service. It is also fantastic to see our HoME Project featured too. It has also made a real difference to tenants’ lives and is exactly the type of work which helps create bright futures.”

Bright Futures launched on Tuesday, June 27, at the Chartered Institute of Housing’s Housing 23 conference in Manchester.

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