Meet Melíosa – Head of Floating Support, Belfast

Melíosa leads MACS’ Belfast Floating Support team, helping young people access safe accommodation and build stable, independent futures. She joined MACS in 2020 and has worked across services supporting young people through some of their most challenging moments.

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

I joined MACS as a Floating Support Worker with the Belfast team back in 2020, right at the start of lockdown, and hit the ground running. I was immediately presented with a clear picture of what MACS was really about – togetherness and pulling together as a team to offer our young people the best level of support we could.

This included taking on a number of different roles, including duties in Housing, as we as an organisation navigated our way through Covid. After about two years, I took on additional duties as Team Leader in Lisburn and Newry, and then began my role leading the Belfast Floating Support team.

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

The predictable answer is that there is no typical day in my role at MACS. The only predictability is that no day is predictable.

The best days for me are getting to spend time with our young people, the animated discussions and idea sharing with our team, and the challenges we tackle together. My role involves a significant amount of safeguarding, forward planning where possible, strategising, and reflection.

Feedback from our young people is crucial to achieving positive outcomes, and listening needs to be about truly hearing them, rather than just waiting for your turn to respond.

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

Their energy, resilience, and how limitless they are in what they can achieve when they feel supported and heard.

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

Young people face many challenges, including homelessness, maintaining tenancies, mental health difficulties, addiction, domestic violence, lack of suitable employment or educational pathways, family and relationship breakdowns, and accessing support services.

At MACS, we believe that through early intervention, support from experienced and empathetic staff, access to suitable services, and empowering our young people, they can achieve the outcomes that matter to them.

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

One winter, I received a phone call from a young person who had been left with no choice but to sleep in a friend’s car.

Within a few hours, through accessing emergency funds raised by a MACS supporter, Kier Group, we were able to ensure that young person had a warm bed, a meal, comfortable clothes, and toiletries.

By the next day, with the support of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, we had secured a more permanent place for the young person to stay in Belfast, so they didn’t need to leave their employment.

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

Society as a whole needs better awareness and understanding of homelessness.

Homelessness is much more than rough sleeping. It includes sofa surfing, overcrowded housing, and young people having to choose between essentials like food and electricity.

Early intervention is key. Homelessness affects everyone, and it is everyone’s responsibility to help address it.

7. Why is Floating Support so important for young people?

Floating Support equips young people with the confidence, guidance, and access to services that can help them secure safe accommodation and maintain a home.

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

By ensuring young people feel empowered and heard, so they can build the lives they aspire to live.

9. What motivates you to keep doing this work?

The inspiring young people I meet every day, seeing them grow and move forward no matter the obstacles.

I am also motivated by the incredible teams at MACS, who are relentless in their fight to end youth homelessness.

10. Is there anything you’d like to say to people who might not know about MACS or the services we provide?

If you’d like to learn more about MACS, visit our website, invite us to speak at your school or workplace, or get in touch.

Whether through fundraising, volunteering, or working with us, everyone has something to contribute to the fight against youth homelessness.

Learn more about our Floating support service