housing/arson

[justlikeawoman]

hi all
i am just wondering if anybody has had any experience with somebody who has commit arson.
have a good friend who has a history of arson. she is homeless at the moment and is needing help from the local council. unfortunately, for whatever reason (the reason is probably obvious) the council are not willing or seem unable to offer her any form of emergency housing e.g b and b.
has anybody had any experience in this field and is there anyway to get help for this friend.
she has been under psychiatric services but at present isnt.
she suffers with mental illness, depression and seems to get very confused.
any advice could be welcome.

 

[mischief]

the council are not willing or seem unable to offer her any form of emergency housing e.g b and b.
has anybody had any experience in this field and is there anyway to get help for this friend.

What sort of help is she looking for?
The following web page contains the Plymouth City Council guide to services for people who are homeless
http://www.plymouth.gov.uk/homelessnessguidetoservices
Shelter has an advice centre in Plymouth
Shelter Plymouth Advice Centre
If she doesn't find any help she could try seeing the local MP.

 

[ralph1]

hi all
i am just wondering if anybody has had any experience with somebody who has commit arson.
have a good friend who has a history of arson. she is homeless at the moment and is needing help from the local council. unfortunately, for whatever reason (the reason is probably obvious) the council are not willing or seem unable to offer her any form of emergency housing e.g b and b.
has anybody had any experience in this field and is there anyway to get help for this friend.
she has been under psychiatric services but at present isnt.
she suffers with mental illness, depression and seems to get very confused.
any advice could be welcome.

Just to update this, the woman has now been found accomodation, but only after we applied a lot of pressure on her to keep to keep herself in front of the officers. this first of all got her into B+B, which the coun cil dont like due to the high cost, and a week later into her own flat.

She has now appeared before the court, found guilty and is awaiting pre sentencing reports. A custodial sentence is a possibility. She apparently told the judge that it was not her fault, it was as a result of the drugs in her.has anybody heard of such a side effect before.

I must say that I think this is a case of not the drugs so beloved by the proffesionals as the lady has a lot of rubbish in her background and needs to learn to take some responsibility in her life for herself, and not keep passing the buck to others.

 

[ems]

arson

hi all
i am just wondering if anybody has had any experience with somebody who has commit arson.
have a good friend who has a history of arson. she is homeless at the moment and is needing help from the local council. unfortunately, for whatever reason (the reason is probably obvious) the council are not willing or seem unable to offer her any form of emergency housing e.g b and b.
has anybody had any experience in this field and is there anyway to get help for this friend.
she has been under psychiatric services but at present isnt.
she suffers with mental illness, depression and seems to get very confused.
any advice could be welcome.

DO YOU NO THINK IT WOULD BE GOOD FOR YOUR FRIEND TO BE IN A SECURE UNIT UNTIL SHE CAN GET HELP WITH HER PROBLEMS.
WAS IT NOT VERY RISKY PUTTING HER INTO BED AND BREAKFAST?
CAN NOT ADVISE YOU AS SUCH BUT THIS SEEMS A DIFFICULT ONE TO DEAL WITH.
I THINK THAT SHE IS VERY LUCKY AND MAYBE IN A WAY THAT HER MH HELPS HER BECAUSE SHE IS VULNERABLE THE COUNCIL MAY HAVE HAD A DUTY TO ACCOMMODATE HER.
SORRY I CAN NOT HELP YOU.

 

[ralph1]

DO YOU NO THINK IT WOULD BE GOOD FOR YOUR FRIEND TO BE IN A SECURE UNIT UNTIL SHE CAN GET HELP WITH HER PROBLEMS.
WAS IT NOT VERY RISKY PUTTING HER INTO BED AND BREAKFAST?
CAN NOT ADVISE YOU AS SUCH BUT THIS SEEMS A DIFFICULT ONE TO DEAL WITH.
I THINK THAT SHE IS VERY LUCKY AND MAYBE IN A WAY THAT HER MH HELPS HER BECAUSE SHE IS VULNERABLE THE COUNCIL MAY HAVE HAD A DUTY TO ACCOMMODATE HER.
SORRY I CAN NOT HELP YOU.

To take the last point first. the council does have a dutyto find accomodation, but in this case, because of past history, no one wanted to take her in and the council were quite happy to sit back and do nothing, in the hope that she would dissapear. we could not let her do that and so ensured that she remained in thier faces. they first of all tried to get her previos landlord to take her back, when that failed tried to get her son, who lives in a 1 bedroom flat, to take her into sleep on the floor. When that failed,only then did they accept their responsibility and find her accomodation.

She now faces a custodial sentence, and if in that time she does not cope mentally with her situation, she could be transferred to a secure MH unit. For her sake, I sincerely hope not, as you see, when that happens the balance of thier sentence is stopped, and it is then up to the medics as to when they are released. They could be transferred having only a short time left to serve, and then be detained in the secure unit indefinitely. Not at her Majesties Pleasure, but at the at the medics pleasure. 25 years has been known. And discrimination is rife among fellow patients.

Not mentioned so far is the fact that this lady has no psychiatrist, no CPN, and social services dont want to know either, even when the GP asked for their help. If that does not make a statement about Plmouth MH services then I dont know what does

 

[ems]

ARSON

SORRY TO HEAR ABOUT THIS PERSON. I DONT REALLY KNOW HOW THE SYSTEM WORKS BECAUSE I HAVENT BEEN UNFORTUNATE ENOUGH TO HAVE TO DEAL WITH IT, ALTHOUGH I READ ALL SORTS OF THINGS REGARDING HOMELESSNESS ETC. IT MUST BE A VERY DIFFICULT SITUATION BECAUSE IF SOMEBODY HAS A PROBLEM WITH ARSON SURELY THEY, AS WELL AS THE PUBLIC, NEED PROTECTION. IT IS A FAIRLY SERIOUS PROBLEM.
I VAGUELY REMEMBER A FEW YEARS AGO THERE WAS A LADY IN PLYMOUTH WHO HAD AN ARSON PROBLEM. I CANT REMEMBER HER NAME BUT I THINK SHE WAS QUITE YOUNG AND WAS WELL KNOWN TO THE POLICE, COUNCIL AND ALL THE OTHER AGENCIES THAT DEAL WITH ISSUES LIKE THIS. IF I AM NOT MISTAKEN SHE COMMIT SUICIDE. I CAN REMEMBER HER MOTHER, I THINK BEING ON PLYMOUTH SOUND SPEAKING ON A PHONE IN PROGRAMME AND SHE WAS BEGGING THE AUTHORITIES TO GET HELP FOR HER DAUGHTER.
ALAS! THIS CAME MUCH TOO LATE.
THIS PERSON YOU ARE SPEAKING ABOUT, I HOPE SHE CAN GET THE HELP SHE NEEDS. IT WOULDNT BE GOOD FOR THERE TO BE ANOTHER CASE LIKE THIS.
I DONT THINK THE AUTHORITIES, AGENCIES ETC EVER REALLY LEARN, OR IF THEY DO THEY STILL DONT IMPLEMENT CHANGES TO THESE PROBLEMS.
AM GLAD ACCOMMODATION WAS SORTED AND HOPE EVERYTHING GOES OK REGARDING CUSTODIAL SENTENCE.
DONT KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE PRISON SERVICE ETC AND DEFINITELY DONT KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT SECURE UNITS. WHEN I MENTIONED SECURE UNIT BEFORE I THINK I MEANT A WARDEN CONTROLLED PLACE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
HOPE EVERYTHING GOES WELL.

 

[maudikie]

Arson.

This is a danger to both herself and others. When she comes before the Courts they should be given a record of the Mental illness. They will then decide on her "disposal". (I find this an awful description, however at present it is the one that is used)
Do you not think that she would be better in protected accommodation than wandering about with the possibility of committing the same offence again?
At least if she was in a Secure Unit she would have the advantage of having psychiatric exmination, and any possible treatment for her condition.
I don't think that blame, in this case, can be attached to the local authority, I don't imagine that you would be happy for her in your house as B & b. I wouldn't. The only blame mey be that they have not ensured that she gets back to the Mental health Services, (though that may not be their resonsibility on the books!) If she is in a secure unit she should have a professional who can get to the reason for her committing arson. It may be just that she smokes, after all. She will have the right to further assessment after(I think) 28 days, and if refused can have further appeals at regular intervals.
I am sure you find this distressing, but you would be more distressed if someone came to harm through her actions. It is very sad - I should think she has some deep anger within her. Perhaps she could get an advocate to speak for and with her. I am unsure of how they are obtained, but I hould think the "bosses" of this network would have the answer. I think they are very good, and thank them for all their efforts.