THE
P RTAL
March 2018
Page 7
Caritas Anchor House
Jackie Ottaway and Ronald Crane meet Andy Haines,
the Interim Chief Executive at Caritas Anchor House
A
ndy Haines is the interim chief executive at Caritas Anchor House (CAH). He was asked to help
in October as two senior staff had left in a short space of time. They needed a senior manager to come
in while they recruited the next chief executive. The previous CE had been with the organisation for twelve
years and had achieved an enormous amount.
We were sitting in part of that
achievement. It is an extension to the
main house, now called “New House”.
Andy told us something about himself.
“My background is education and social
care. I have been a teacher working in
several forms of special education. My
main interest has been children and
people with special needs. In the latter
twenty years of my career I have been
chief executive of charities. For eighteen
years I was with a trust in the north west
of England. We took this from an established, but not
very active situation, to one serving two thousand
children and young people every year. We are still
very proud about this. It is still an excellent charity
and doing even better. I then became an interim CE
for another children’s charity in Wandsworth. My
last job was CE at Age Concern. I’ve been retired for
four years and wasn’t looking to work again. But, I got
bushwhacked!
“Funding is complicated. When
people are referred to us, it is normally
by Newham housing options. Funding is
made up of housing benefit and there is a
personal contribution.
“We don’t take people straight from the
street. Our core mission is to provide
accommodation over an extended period.
It is a form of stabilisation, so people can
get their act together in terms of their
personal administration, CVs, records of
employment, and so on, in order that they are prepared
to move on to the outside world. We have a team who
assist with education and training opportunities.
As you can imagine, the scale of need is quite wide,
especially preparation for employment specifically.
“At the moment our average stay is ten months. It’s
long enough for some stability, and for some input and
preparation for moving on in whatever form that is.
Some people’s English skills are not of a standard to
“I was aware of Caritas Anchor House and its fine live independently and to work regularly, so all those
reputation for assisting people of all ages experiencing things need to be factored in - in ten months. It is not
homelessness. I am here until April and the new CE, a large amount of time.
Amanda Dubarry, is already recruited and will be
coming in March, so we look forward her coming and
“We have one hundred and forty beds for people
joining us.
who are homeless and referred to us and pass the
assessment. Homelessness itself is a broad aspect,
“CAH started in 1962 as a seaman’s hostel. It was an from those who are rough sleeping to those who are
association of the three dioceses with The Apostleship temporarily homeless, and those who are sofa surfing,
of the Sea. The three dioceses were Westminster, or living in their cars. People are working and rough
Southwark and Brentwood.
sleeping as they can’t afford accommodation.
“The Docks closed. The demand diminished. CAH
went through various stages of assisting people who
needed accommodation. The building is extremely
substantial. We are sitting in New House where once
there stood a dance hall and bar but now there are
offices and 25 flats for our residents who are preparing
to move on to their own accommodation and a new
stage in their lives. The property is now owned by the
incorporated charity formed in 2014, but we are still
part of the Brentwood Diocese.
“All this can lead to strife. Then there are difficulties
that lead to homelessness. It happens with young
people, and marital breakdowns, we have a lot of
instances of that. There are very complex reasons why
people become homeless, but it is a desperate situation
to be in.
“There is a paper assessment to start with. For those
with more extreme behaviour problems typically
associated with substance misuse, we cannot help.