ASSAULTED by her neighbour. This lady with 3 young children was rehoused but the new home didn’t even have floor coverings.

We provided carpeting so the kids are not crawling on concrete floors. 

Mum is a full time mum to three young boys. Two have additional needs and mum is a registered carer for her eldest son, due to his disabilities. She is in receipt of benefits but has with very little left each month to save towards the cost of carpets.

In October 2019 the family were woken late at night due to a violent break in at their old address. The offender, who was suffering from mental illness, broke down two doors to get in. The children were terrified and traumatised by the experience. Police were called and the offender was arrested and charged and sentenced.

This attack and break in had a traumatising effect on the whole family. Due to the fear of the offender returning, the family have ‘sofa surfed’ for several months, which has been very unsettling for two children who themselves have underlying needs. During all of this they have also been coping with the restrictions caused by the pandemic.

The family were eventually rehoused in 2020. They have moved in and are slowly feeling more settled, however the boys understandably, still have many fears. Whilst the family are extremely grateful to now have a safe place to live, and are feeling much more secure, unfortunately the property has no carpet or laminate. The downstairs floor is particularly grim and uninviting being unfinished patchy, black and grey, flaking concrete. The stairs, landing and bedrooms are unfinished floorboards. This is not only dirty and unpleasant, but is particularly dangerous with a one year old baby who is crawling everywhere, putting the flaking flooring in his mouth and beginning to learn how to walk, with many falls.  

The children have suffered a traumatic few months, exacerbated by the pandemic, and have benefit greatly from finished floors to make their home feel safe and inviting.