Laura had spent most of her childhood in foster care and had been separated from her siblings. When she turned 18, she decided to move in with her mam as she was keen to rebuild family connections. The relationship however quickly broke down and Laura was referred to Moving On by her Leaving Care Worker.
It became apparent that when Laura moved in to her new home, she did not have the essential skills to manage a household. Laura was also struggling with her confidence and mental health as she had concerns that she may be autistic.
With her support worker, Laura constructed a plan to initially address her mental health concerns and develop her independent living skills. Practical support took place including budgeting sessions, rubbish disposal, calendar use and time management as well as education around eating healthy. Laura also received a lot of advice and guidance around household chores, shopping and how to report essential repairs to ensure she could maintain a safe and clean home. Laura was doing really well managing her tenancy.
We also agreed to make a referral to her local mental health services and we supported her to attend mental health appointments, physio and general health appointments such as the dentist and opticians. Laura is now also engaging with Moving On’s own Mental Health Support Worker which she finds extremely helpful to her understanding of her own mental health needs. She is currently awaiting an autism assessment.
Although Laura has come a long way, she still requires weekly support to develop her independence and resilience. Laura’s support is now targeted towards becoming more confident and independent in terms of managing her own health needs, both physically and mentally.
Each week we set independent goals such as rebuilding relationships including visiting family and friends, attending her mental health appointments independently and going out for regular walks. Laura uses her calendar to plan and keep track of her own appointments and is able to contact services independently. She has shown excellent progress and is beginning to consider her future in terms of moving on from our supported accommodation into independent living.