Daniella's story: I’ve got my head on straight, and I’m back on track

Journey to Centrepoint

Daniella, 21, recently moved out of the Centrepoint supported home she had been living in since November 2024 and is now settling in well to her own flat with her partner. In the run up to the festive season, they are getting ready for their first Christmas together in their space, decorating with their own touches and making it feel ready for celebrating.

Daniella was referred to Centrepoint by her support worker, when she was unable to stay in the mother and baby home she had been placed into. Whilst living in the supported accommodation, her son was placed into care, and so she had to find somewhere else to live. At risk of homelessness, the local authority moved her into a hotel as a temporary home. 

However, staying in the hotel would not be a long-term placement and together they made a referral for her to come to Centrepoint as a stepping stone between getting her own home.

“I was in a mother and baby unit to start with my son, but then I lost custody of him and then I became homeless. I was put in a hotel and my support worker got me into Centrepoint.”

After living in another supported home, she wasn’t worried about moving into a similar house but remembers how much more settled and happier she felt in her new accommodation. She quickly made friends with the other residents, and even met her new partner, who she is now living with, who was placed just a few rooms down from her.

“I had been in a homeless place before and Centrepoint was just better – I loved it. We’d just hang out quite a bit because when I was first there, I just was hanging out with everyone. I met my boyfriend there and we’ve been together for nearly a year now. It was a lot more chilled than the one I was in before.” 

Getting ready for independence

After moving into her new supported home, Daniella was keen to take up different opportunities to learn vital skills and work with her support and progression officer to help her move onto her own home. Together, they found some areas where Daniella needed support, including managing bills and getting set up with council tax, so that she could take these skills forward.

“Chantelle has been really helpful and I’m just about to be signed off from her. She helped sort out the council tax because I didn’t really know how to do that and sort out the bills and things with the water company. No one ever teaches you about these things.”

She also worked with the jobs and education team to complete a short educational course in maths and English to help her take her next steps into college. At the same time, she was also working with a volunteer to give her some additional support with budgeting, so that once she moved out, she felt confident to manage her own finances. 

“I did a short course to get into education and then I worked with one of the volunteers about budgeting – it was really helpful.”

Moving out and getting settled

After being with Centrepoint for five months, Daniella and Chantelle agreed that she was ready to move out and get her own home. She felt proud of being able to move out – being one of the first of the group of young people she was living with to have a flat of their own.

“I was one of the first people in my service to get a flat out of everyone who was in there with me.”

She’s now set up in her own space, with her partner, and they are prepping for their first Christmas in their new home together. They already have their tree up, despite Christmas being over a month away and even have a turkey in the freezer ready for the big day!

“We’ve got the Christmas tree up – I have it up as early as possible!”

Daniella remembers that when she first moved in, the flat needed some decorating and especially needed a new floor before they could start living here. New flooring for a whole flat can be incredibly expensive and put a lot of pressure on young people taking that step to move into their own homes.

After Daniella mentioned this to Chantelle, they were able to make an application to Centrepoint’s AIM fund which is open for all young people supported by Centrepoint to alleviate some financial stress on larger scale items, without which could have a negative impact for them. 

They were approved on a request for the full cost new flooring, which would be laid before she moved into her new home. Knowing that this was available to Daniella took off a load of stress from her shoulders and meant that she could enjoy the move in and focus on making the space feel her own.

“It’s made it a lot more homely – Chantelle told me about it. Flooring is quite expensive and it’s just a lot better having the flooring sorted now. It’s just a lot more homely and it just feels a lot nicer to be in. It’s just not a room; it’s like an actual home now.”

Alongside the new flooring, Daniella has been enjoying personalising her new space – decorating the flat in the way that she wants. She was also given a Style Your Space voucher through her key worker, eligible to all young people supported through Centrepoint, to buy things for their homes which helps to put their own personal spin on the space. With this, she bought a new sofa, where she loves to pay Call of Duty and relax on her days off from college.

“Chantelle even helped us to get a new sofa which is really nice, I like it. It’s brand new as well so that’s even better. We’ve been able to decorate it the way we want. It’s all been really helpful.”

A future in childcare 

Daniella is currently at college, studying for her Level 3 in Childcare, and dreams of a future working in a nursery and supporting children – with the hopes of becoming manager of a nursery in the future.

“Half the week at the moment, I’m at college or I’m on college placement and then the rest of the week I’m either doing college work or chilling out. I’m doing my Level 3 in childcare which is a yearlong course. It’s at a nursery and I’m really enjoying it – I think it’s my ideal job.”

“I love working with children and things, I just love it. I think I would like to continue working in a nursey and then possibly try to get up to manager.”

After being at college to get her qualification, she has even applied for and been accepted into university to get her Level 4 in Childcare next year – something that can help her reach her dreams even faster.

“I even applied for university next year as well for a course in level 4 childcare. I’ve already got the conditional offer, and I start in September. As long as I pass the course I’m on, then I’ve got a place.”

Thinking back over the last year, with coming to Centrepoint and being able to move into her own flat, Daniella can see the impact of the support and progress that she has been able to make. She feels like now she’s back on track and ready to take those steps towards her future.

“Ever since I’ve left Centrepoint, I’ve got my head on straight, and I’m back on track.”

Daniella urges other young people who might be in similar situations to make sure to accept help from those around you. She can see from her own experiences the positive impact of taking up that support to help her reach where she is now and how things might have been different without it. 

“Just take all the help you can get – if you work with the people around you it will come out better.”

Daniella has achieved so much in a short period of time and should be so proud of everything she has been able to do. We wish her all the best in her new home and with taking steps towards an exciting future in childcare.