Floating Support in Action: Meet Erin

At MACS, our staff work every day alongside young people facing homelessness, supporting them to find stability, build confidence and move forward.

In this staff spotlight, we hear from Erin, who has been part of the Lisburn Floating Support team since 2016. With nearly a decade of experience, they have supported generations of young people to navigate challenges, build independence and create more secure futures.

1. Can you tell us a little bit about your role at MACS and how long you’ve been here?

15th September 2016 – I remember it well, as I had been eyeing up MACS as an employer for a few years. I’ve worked with the Lisburn Floating Support team since day one, and was also involved with Lisburn Integrated Services up until 2024.

2. What does a typical day look like in your role?

Typical days don’t really exist in my role. There’s a constant flow of new generations of young people, all facing different challenges from those before. I’ve been here almost 10 years and still have days unlike any I’ve had before at MACS.

3. What do you enjoy most about working with young people at MACS?

Watching young people grow, change and adapt to succeed. Also seeing MACS adapt as an organisation to meet young people’s needs in a changing world.

4. What challenges do young people face in your area of work, and how do you help them overcome these challenges?

I think it’s possible to have a lot around you and still feel very alone. Many of the young people we support can feel misunderstood, even when surrounded by services.

Everything feels harder than it was a decade ago, particularly housing. Consistency is really important. Sometimes something as simple as saying, “I’m here for you and we’ll find a way through this together” can mean so much to a young person experiencing homelessness.

5. Can you share a memorable experience or success story from your time at MACS?

We’ve always been encouraged and supported to try new things. MACS funded my Equine Facilitated Learning qualification, and since 2023, young people have been able to benefit from that support.

6. What’s something you wish more people understood about the work you do at MACS?

We might be a small charity, but we’re a mighty one. We focus on what we do best.

7. Why do you think the service you provide is so important for young people?

In a nutshell, if I think about myself at 16–25, with no family support and nowhere safe to live, there’s no way I would have been able to navigate that without help.

I’ve had adults my own age say to me, “I wish MACS existed when I was younger.” The world feels a lot tougher now. Young people in Northern Ireland need MACS.

8. How do you see MACS making a difference in the lives of young people?

Young people are very good at telling us when we get it right. I’ve seen entire lives transform – young people I wouldn’t even recognise from when I first met them.

If you didn’t see it, you wouldn’t believe it. It still gets me emotional, even after a decade.

9. What motivates you to keep doing this work?

MACS makes a real difference in young people’s lives. I genuinely feel like we make a difference every day – big or small, it all counts.

10. Is there anything you’d like to say to people who might not know about MACS?

The people who work at MACS are pretty unique – we genuinely want to help. This isn’t just a job to us.

Sometimes we might not be the right service, but we’ll always try to help you find the one that is.

Learn more about MACS services or get help here