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"Lack of empathy"

About: Beacon Lodge

(as a service user),

Despite my previous, positive feedback I am disappointed to have to write a more negative posting about my time leaving Beacon Lodge. I feel that it's important for all sides to be seen, however, so here I am.

I was sent to Beacon Lodge after suffering a series of Acute Stress Reactions that were caused by many social factors but a big one was the fact that I was being repeatedly kicked out of places where I was staying for insignificant reasons - like drinking all the Lucozade or not cleaning the way 'I should be'. Despite all the stress and how ill the stress reactions made me, Beacon Lodge was brilliant at first in their support of me. When it was getting closer to my leaving, however, I felt nothing back a lack of understanding and a lack of empathy by the staff involved. The date I was set to leave ended up being brought forward by 5 days. I was told this was moved up because ALL of my furniture would be delivered to my flat that day. This is not what happened...my furniture, bed included, did not get delivered until 5 days after I left. On the day I  was now being told that I HAD TO leave on, for some unknown reason, I noticed that I had various items missing that I knew I'd come into that place with...I couldn't even find my wedding ring! I became increasingly flustered that day because the staff wouldn't listen to me about my missing things. I even told them at one point that I'd thought they'd been stolen because at that time they were regularly keeping the gate open next to the front door and the kitchen door open, even though a sign on the door says it must be kept shut. I didn't know who'd taken my things - guests, staff, or even an outsider wandering in through an open door, but I knew they were missing and I knew I hadn't lost them.

Now that I'm gone and have had time to reflect, I realize now that I think they really were completely inappropriate. I have since filed my own police report about my stolen items...which I think they should've offered themselves that day. I still cannot understand why I had to leave before I even had a bed. I was ultimately 'forced' to go to a family member's house that night - which I didn't want to do because that was one of the people who'd kicked me out in the month prior, one of the people who'd cause me undue stress, but I felt I had no other choice. I ended up only staying with them for 2 nights before things between us became untenable, yet again. I have been suffering with repressed memories for a long time and that weekend they ALL came back with FULL FORCE...and I had no support since I'd essentially been 'kicked out' of Beacon Lodge unceremoniously. ..or at least that's how they made me feel that day. I ended up staying for 3 nights in an empty flat, sleeping on a yoga mat on the hard floor. I've slept in worse circumstances in my life from being kicked out over and over and over again...but I did not expect that to be my experience in leaving Beacon Lodge.

So disappointing.

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Responses

Response from Turning Point 6 years ago
Submitted on 01/08/2017 at 11:30
Published on Care Opinion at 16:09


Dear Ebony6588,

I'm sorry you feel you were treated unfairly after having in the most part a positive experience at Beacon Lodge. We work with Guests for a maximum of 8 weeks around a range of support needs, including housing, including planning move-on. Please do ring me directly on the number below to discuss your concerns. Or, as previously discussed, you can email beacon.lodge@turning-point.co.uk to make a formal written complaint if you don’t feel the staff have taken your complaints seriously in the conversations you have had so far.

With best wishes

Tania Ginnever, Operations Manager, Beacon Lodge

Tel: 01158415370

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