Before being housed with Moving On, Fran had a limited support network. Peers who Fran had been associating with were having a detrimental impact on her mental health, resulting in her using substances as a coping mechanism. Fran was unable to care for her daughter who subsequently was living with a family member. This was an extremely difficult time for Fran.
Fran was referred into Moving On and has been with us for approximately 9 months. Fran was allocated to Natalie who became Support Worker. At first Fran was very resistant to letting Natalie in and wouldn’t answer the door or phone to her. Upon reflection, Fran talks about how this was due to previous trust issues and fears of rejection.
Fran’s mental health was deteriorating rapidly as a result of her daughter not living with her. Natalie and Fran knew they had some work to do. A referral was put in for Fran’s mental health. Natalie also signposted Fran to Moving On’s in-house mental health support worker who helped with coping mechanisms and as a listening ear.
Natalie also supported Fran with basic skills such as budgeting and how to manage a tenancy, to parenting guidance, practical/financial support, her physical health including registering with her GP and dentist. Natalie has supported Fran with building positive relationships and a listening ear for emotional support. Fran did not want a referral for her substance misuse but stopped misusing. Together they also looked for parenting activities as Fran was so determined to do everything she could to gain custody of her little girl again.
Fast forward to the present day, Fran is actively engaging in weekly sessions with Natalie as a result of Natalie’s determination to form a positive relationship. Fran is no longer engaging in harmful relationships with her peers and continues not to use substances. She is continuing to access the support for her mental health and engages with other professionals when required to.
Fran is less reliant on Natalie for emotional support as she has been supported to make positive relationships with new friends through her parenting activities. Fran’s daughter is now back in her care again and as a result, her confidence, resilience and outlook on life has improved dramatically.
Fran’s home is always clean and tidy and she is managing her own home very well. She is now working with Natalie looking at part-time employment opportunities in retail, with an outlook to soon move on into social housing to create a safe, long term home for herself and her daughter.