Dean left everything he knew in London when he met his wife-to-be. He moved to Devon hoping for happiness – but the relationship broke down rapidly once they married, and Dean became the victim of his wife’s physical and mental abuse.
“She took everything from me,” Dean says. “I ended up having to move out. I was homeless.”
Without the support networks he had left back in London, Dean had nowhere to go. Plagued with depression and anxiety, he was placed in temporary accommodation by the council – which is where he first connected with the team from Julian House.
With his key worker’s support, he not only had the shelter of temporary accommodation; he had a dedicated guide who would help him to rebuild his life.
“You cover every basis. You keep us connected to the real world. It’s everything from the processes to follow to access Universal Credit, to the steps I could take to get back into my career as a chef. Without Julian House, I’d be lost. I’d be out on the streets and I wouldn’t know where to begin.”
Now, Dean is determined to get his life back. His goals are clear: to live independently, to pursue his career as a chef, and to live a quiet life with his pet dogs.
“Julian House has become like my family,” he says. “They make you feel like something, like you’re still human. They give you something back – and that is magic.”
