Northern Enterprise Awards 2021

34 | Northern Enterprise Awards 2021 Oct21266 Best Community Housing Organisation 2021 Bedspace is a housing organisation in the north of England that goes far beyond the call of duty. Helping vulnerable individuals of all ages and circumstances, Bedspace seeks ideal housing and accommodation for them, in addition to providing the facilities and support services they require to turn their lives around for good. At Bedspace, it is about so much more than finding a house for someone; it is about giving them the tools to sustainably achieve a better, happier standard of living. Launched in 1999, Bedspace is a fully accredited housing organisation committed to providing high quality accommodation to vulnerable people in need. This service goes far beyond simply putting a roof over someone’s head, but is part of a long-term approach to transform lives by considering the needs of an individual and providing them with the facilities and additional support services they require to achieve the best standard of living. Operating as an intrinsic part of its communities in the northwest in Manchester, Liverpool, Preston, Lancashire and also across Yorkshire with contracts in place with Leeds, Hull, Sheffield, Wakefield, and Bradford to name a few the agile and owner-managed team at Bedspace work flexibly to best serve their clients, finding them the right accommodation that is handpicked and properly maintained. Whether it is group living, supported tenancy, solo and solo enhanced or even emergency placement housing options, Bedspace is able to find a place in which its people will not only find safety and comfort, but also be able to thrive. When the organisation first began, the team provided accommodation to asylum seekers, mainly in Blackpool. Since then, the Bedspace team has grown and its specialisms have done the same, allowing the organisation to work with young people aged over sixteen and adults, homeless families, NHS referrals, parents and their babies, and asylum seekers. The people who come to Bedspace might be living in fear, leaving care with nowhere to go, struggling with mental health issues, or be faced with any number of other predicaments. Whatever their situation, Bedspace is able to provide robust and sustainable solutions. The caring team is made up of qualified, enhanced DBS-checked individuals who are specialists in a wide range of fields, from child sexual exploitation and substance misuse through to asylum support and benefits advice. They work with a variety of different organisations including the NHS, local authorities, social workers, charities and landlords to acquire the resources and flexibility to provide tailored solutions to vulnerable people, whatever their age or circumstance. As a result, in just over two decades, Bedspace has been able to help more than 17,000 individuals to change their lives, and it is now adding trainer flats and children’s residential sites to its list of accommodation types. The organisation is hoping to unveil its first children’s home in 2022, with the intention of opening more in the future. Although it is Bedspace’s flexibility and personal service that sets it apart from other housing organisations, the team also knows the importance of ensuring exceptional quality and professionalism. Accredited by various bodies, including the 2019 Parliamentary Review for providing outstanding semi-independent supported living, Bedspace guarantees best practice in all its operations. The firm has embraced a unique, in-house ‘REDI’ process, that is comprised of referral, evaluation, delivery and independence. This works in cohesion with Bedspace’s unique, cloud-based management system ReMaS, which helps to manage and monitor everyday operations in real time and is accessible to authorised clients, for total transparency and smoother service delivery. This not only enables measurable progress, but ensures the regularly trained staff at Bedspace are able to deliver meticulous, high-quality service to the people in their care. Solidifying the foundation of all the hard work Bedspace puts in for the communities of the North of England are its core values, which it has recently reviewed. These are having a passion about transforming lives; embracing community and collaboration to create better living places; supporting and empowering each other to become better versions of themselves; and striving to exceed expectations every time. Bedspace welcomes a family atmosphere among colleagues and service users. Its people genuinely care about their work and this comes through in every single interaction. The team acts as one and always does the right thing by its people, the landlords it works with and the vulnerable people it supports every single day. The idea of togetherness is in the organisation’s DNA, and everyone in its family shares a common purpose of transforming lives. It believes people are stronger together, partnering with individuals and organisations to make its communities better. Its people thrive off collaborating with stakeholders, getting stuck in and always looking for solutions that deliver better outcomes. Most importantly, it establishes long-term opportunities for its service users to engage positively in their local communities. The organisation puts trust in its colleagues, with everyone understanding what they are there to do, and being accountable for their actions. It tremendously values individual differences, and everyone is encouraged to respect and believe in each other. Transforming lives is crucial at all levels; that’s why Bedspace supports and encourages its service users to reach their full potential, and that’s why it helps everyone to develop their careers.