Danielle came to Moving On last year following leaving a mother and baby placement which unfortunately had broken down as a result of moving to a new area with no wrapped around support.
When Danielle came to us, she was quite guarded and wary of working with her support worker due to her previous relationship failures with professionals. Therefore, it took a lot of perseverance at first but slowly over time we managed to build a great rapport.
As part of Danielle’s support plan, together we identified various life skills to develop. Firstly, though, Danielle was not in receipt of all benefits she was entitled to, so we resolved this straight away which helped with fundamentals around understanding how to maintain a tenancy, like paying bills on time.
Once benefits were resolved, we worked together on a budgeting plan looking at income and expenditure to help Danielle make sure she had enough money each month for necessities such as food and utilities.
We then looked at time management and what adjustments Danielle could make. For example, having personal appointments scheduled in her calendar to daily elements such as cooking and cleaning. Danielle also wanted to eat better so we worked on healthy meal plans to help with inspiration on what she could eat on a regular basis.
Danielle’s allocated Moving On housing officer also supported with things like tackling mould and top tips.
A really important aspect in Danielle’s life was that she estranged from her child and emotionally was in a bad place. We talked about mental health services who may be able to support and put in a referral for mental health support in which Danielle feels helps a lot and actively engages.
Ten months later, we talked about next steps and Danielle felt ready for independent living ready as a result of the coaching and support from Moving On. Danielle applied for social housing and has now secured permanent accommodation.
Looking at how far Danielle has come, Danielle is now in a stable relationship, has regular supervised visits with her child, emotionally in a good place, budgeting really well and managing her tenancy. The couple are looking forward to the next chapter in their life particularly as their new house has a garden that their child can play in.