STANDING IN THE SHADOWS Faith, Homelessness and Troubled Lives. Raelton Gibbs This thesis is submitted in partial fulfilment of a Professional Doctorate in Social Work awarded by the University of East London , in collaboration with the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust . October 2011 Page 2 ‘Once I saw what people really think of wisdom. It happened when a powerful ruler surrounded and attacked a small city where only a few people lived. The enemy army was getting ready to break through the city walls. But the city was saved by the wisdom of a poor person who was soon forgotten. So I decided that wisdom is better than strength. Yet if you are poor, no one pays any attention to you, no matter h ow clever you are’ Ecclesiastes 9:13-16 (2000). Standing in the Shadows Raelton Gibbs Page 3 THE AUTHOR. Raelton originally trained as a nurse at London’s Charing Cross Hospital. In 1982 he entered The Salvation Army’s International Training College and has been a Salvation Army Officer since being commissioned in 1984. During the last 27 years he has worked within the Social Work of the organisation and extensively in the field of homelessness. His front line experience includes managing centres for single homeless men in Sheffield, London, Kingston upon Hull, Leeds and Darlington. In 1996 he was appointed to the middle management of the organisation taking up a position giving him responsibility for all the social work in the South East of England. In 2001, Raelton moved to the Territorial Headquarters of The Salvation A rmy as the Homelessness Services Officer, being responsible to the leadership of the organisation for all its homeless work in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. In 2008 following a restructuring of the service he became the Assistant Director of Homeless services before taking up his current appointment at the International Headquarters working in the International Emergency Services Department. Standing in the Shadows Raelton Gibbs Page 4 ABSTRACT. This research studies five homeless people’s experience focusing on two key research questions - what is the place of faith and a faith based organisation in the lives and minds of people using the service and what does an in depth analysis of the emotional biographies of a gr oup of homeless people tell us about the psychic, material and spiritual needs that they bring to the centre? Each person interviewed was of no faith or a different faith to the host organisation. Using Biographical Narrative Interpretive Method and Grounded Theory the research generated in depth insights into the life experiences of some of the most vulnerable in our society, giving them a voice. Based on a single narrative seeking question, the interviews disclose long histories of personal and social suffering, and a connection between those histories and peoples’ pathways into homelessness, both external and internal. There are traumatised people for whom literal homelessness is not the outcome, but the path into homelessness for all the research subjects suggests a typical picture of people balanced on a knife-edge between a number of sets of pairings including meaning and meaningless, hope and despair and life and death. To aid u nderstanding I think of these subjects as distributed along a spectrum, with some occupying positions closer to hopelessness, despair or suicide, and some in more hopeful or connected states. All of this is both what brings people to the host organisation, and what they bring into that organisation. The research findings enable better understanding of key issues affecting homeless people not only for faith-based organisations but for all that work with social exclusion and homelessness. Noting the occurrence of similar emerging issues over each of the case studies what begins to emerge are a number of implications for practice. These Standing in the Shadows Raelton Gibbs Page 5 include the importance of developing meaningful relationships; the need to meet service users higher needs particularly spirituality from the point of admission, the importance of a full knowledge of the housed history, the importance of giving the opportunity to explore important life issues and to be listened to. A possible implication of the research undertaken relates to the organisation itself. The way the organisation does or does not respond, introducing the notion that it operates defences against anxiety and pain drawing on its own theological dogma, an ideology that functions as a defence against being over whelmed. The organisation’s position within the homelessness field is also consider ed. Finally there are the defences towards the inner projections of the residents. It is how the organisation responds to these elements that the research suggests assists or hinders the progress of the homeless person’s route out of homelessness. Standing in the Shadows Raelton Gibbs Page 6 DECLARATION. This work has not previously been accepted in substance for any degree and is not being concurrently submitted in candidature for any degree. Signed…………………………………………………… (Candidate) Date………………………………………………………. STATEMENT 1: This thesis is being submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Professional Doctorate in Social Work. Signed………………………………………………….. Date…………………………………………………….. STATEMENT 2: This thesis is the result of my own independent work / invest igation, except where otherwise stated. Other sources are acknowledged by footnotes giving explicit references. Signed……………………………………………………. Date………………………………………………………. STATEMENT 3: I hereby give my consent for my thesis, if accepted, to be available for photocopying and for inter – library loan, and for the title and summary to be made available to outside organisations. Signed……………………………………………………. Date………………………………………………………. Standing in the Shadows Raelton Gibbs Page 7 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. I thank the many individuals that have contributed to this study: My appreciation is sent to those people who had experienced homelessness and were prepared to give up their time to be interviewed. Whilst they remain anonymous they know who they are. May they feel by telling their stories they have contributed to not only changing their own lives but those of others. To those people associated with the Tavistock and Portman Trust for their advice, guidance, encouragement, criticism and practical support . They have been of great value throughout this study. In particular I would like to acknowledge Professor Andrew Cooper, Dr. Liz Webb, Dr. Tim Dartington, Tom Wengraf & Dr.Prue Chamberlayne and the staff and fellow students on the D60 course. My appreciation is also sent to those within The Salvation Army that have supported me in this study. The management and staff teams of the two centres involved in particular. Also the staff of SISTAD and leadership of both The Salvation Army United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland Territory and International Headquarters. I would also express my thanks to those who took the time to proof read the final document. Finally I am extremely grateful for my family who have understood and supported me through my time as a student. To my wife Lynn who has also been a great help in the transcribing of interviews, photocopying, proof reading and assisting in any way she possibly could. I apologise if I have missed anybody from the acknowledgements and send them thanks. Standing in the Shadows Raelton Gibbs Page 8 STANDING IN THE SHADOWS Faith, Homelessness and Troubled Lives. THE AUTHOR. .................................................................................................................. 3 ABSTRACT. ...................................................................................................................... 4 DECLARATION. ................................................................................................................ 6 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. ................................................................................................... 7 CHAPTER ONE: INTRODU CTION TO THE THESIS. .........................................................11 1:1. INTRODUCTION. .......................................................................................................11 1:2. THE AIMS OF THE THESIS. ........................................................................................12 1:3. THE PLAN OF THE THESIS. .......................................................................................14 1:4. PERSONAL REVELATION. .........................................................................................16 CHAPTER TWO: BACKGROUND. .....................................................................................19 2:1. INTRODUCTION. .......................................................................................................19 2:2. AN OVERVIEW OF THE CHRISTIAN ROOTS OF SOCIAL WORK. ...................................19 2:3. THE CHRISTIAN C HURCH’S INVOLVEMENT IN SOCIAL SERVICES. ............................27 2:4. A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE HOST ORGANISATION. .....................................................30 2:5. WHAT IS A CHRISTIAN BASED PROGRAMME? ...........................................................34 2:6. HOLISTIC THEOLO GY. ..............................................................................................36 2:7. CONCLUSION. ...........................................................................................................48 CHAPTER THREE: LITER ATURE REVIEW. .....................................................................49