*All names have been changed

‘Jackie’ cares for her son, ‘Freddie’ who in his thirties and has mental health issues. She also works full time, working nights so she can be with Freddie during the day. She contacted us after struggling to access support for her son for several years.

She felt let down by local mental health services and recognised her own mental health was being negatively affected as a result of the stress and anxiety this was causing. She was also worried about the continued decline in Freddie’s mental health, which was leading to behaviours that challenge.

After Jackie got in touch, she met with ‘Sarah’, one of our Carer Support Workers. Sarah and Jackie met in person as Jackie’s home, which meant Sarah also had the chance to meet Freddie. Jackie told Sarah how she felt, saying ‘I am not myself anymore’ and ‘I feel very alone.’. Jackie and Sarah developed an action plan to help Jackie feel more herself again and feel less lonely. They also discussed what Freddie might find beneficial.

For Jackie, a big priority was having someone to talk to. Initially, she didn’t want to go to any of our groups as she was feeling overwhelmed by life. Instead, she and Sarah agreed to meet every two weeks in person so that Jackie could talk through how she was feeling and better understand what she needed from support. Sarah was also available for Jackie by phone in-between meetings.

After meeting a few times, and finding out more about the groups we run, Jackie felt like she was ready to attend. Sarah talked Jackie through the groups and Jackie decided to attend one of our regular coffee mornings. As she wasn’t confident going alone, we arranged for another carer to meet her outside the venue and walk in with her. Jackie now goes to several groups every month.

Outside of the groups, Jackie felt she needed some specialist help. She also wanted to think of ways to support Freddie so he could live more independently. Sarah secured counselling sessions for Jackie and supported her to complete a carers assessment so she could access additional support.

To help understand Freddie’s needs, Sarah met with him.

Freddie wanted to be more independent. He felt cooped up at home and wanted to try living on his own. Sarah helped Freddie get in touch with housing so Freddie could explore his options. She also talked Freddie through different groups he might be interested in. Freddie enjoyed art, so Sarah helped him access art classes through our Working Better Together partner, Hoot. Freddie loved these classes and his behaviours towards Jackie lessened.

Jackie no longer needs 1:1 support. She said she couldn’t thank Sarah enough. Her life was changed for the better as a result of our support.