Our Impact

After witnessing the traumatic arrest of her father in her family home, Billie was left feeling confused, angry and overwhelmed. With her close bond with her father shattered, Billie struggled to manage her emotions and cope with the drastic changes in her life.Breaking Barriers stepped in to give Billie the support she so desperately needed.

Billie’s negative behaviours at school and home were escalating after her father’s arrest. Arguments at home, increased unhealthy behaviours and spiralling anxiety were just some of the side effects of her trauma.

After her referral to Breaking Barriers, our practitioners provided Billie with weekly support sessions in school and at home. Working with them, she set goals and developed coping strategies for managing stress, including creating a ‘self-soothe’ pack to improve her resilience.

Billie also participated in the development of our Dylan’s Story book, a tool which helps children understand what it’s like to have a parent in prison.

This experience allowed her to explore her feelings about her father’s arrest and its impact on her emotional wellbeing. Over time, Billie was able to better understand her father’s situation in prison and quell any misconceptions she had.

Breaking Barriers’ support made a big difference to Billie’s life. She soon felt less angry and more open to understanding the emotions of others. A mediation-style session held at her home also addressed the challenges in Billie’s relationship with her mother and helped them to find common ground.

Both Billie and her mother validated each other’s feelings and the work of the Breaking Barriers team helped them develop a happier family environment.

Her behaviour at school also improved and she has been able to better manage her temper and anxiety.

“I feel less angry at everything now and I’m more open to understanding other people’s emotions. I’m grateful for the support I received.”

Read more about Breaking Barriers.

Lola’s social anxiety had become so crippling that she was unable to walk her dog or ask her teacher for help at school. The fears she had catastrophised led to her feeling helpless in her transition to secondary school – the YOUnited service stepped in to help Lola better understand her feelings.

Lola was referred to the YOUnited service for support with anxiety. Her anxiety had led to crippling physical symptoms such as sickness and shakiness, and she had become avoidant of social situations. She was unable to walk her dog at certain times, couldn’t ask her teacher for help at school and feared speaking or performing in front of other people.

Lola was given eight sessions of guided self-help for anxiety and additional support on her transition into secondary school.

During these sessions, Lola learned more about her anxiety and where it stemmed from, as well as how to relax herself in challenging scenarios to help her solve problems and overcome avoidance.

Lola was worried about starting secondary school as she feared getting lost, not making and friends and catching the bus. YOUnited provided Lola with support on how to implement new routines – she identified listening to music on her phone as a possible way to relax on the school bus, making her feel more confident about the journey.

Following her sessions, Lola made progress in walking her dog at times when teenagers were around and began to ask friends for help in class. She became aware that she still experiences anxiety around new people, but felt confident in the step-by-step plans she had made to help her ask her teachers for support in school.

Three months after her intervention, Lola’s parent said:

“Lola is flying at secondary school. She is getting the bus confidently, has made new friends and has accepted she’s ‘one of those teenagers’ she used to be afraid of!

“She had a wobble at the start, but the coping strategies you taught her are all part of her success in recovering from that.”

Read more about YOUnited.

After growing up with an alcoholic and abusive mother, experiencing sexual abuse and eventually homelessness and domestic abuse from partners, Izzy was living in a cycle of chaos. Our Mpower service helped Izzy break free.

Izzy had vivid childhood memories of her mother having men come to her house for sex to pay for her crack and cocaine addiction. Sometimes, Izzy would be sexually abused.

Eventually, Izzy moved to Suffolk to live with her father and brothers. But after the traumas she had experienced as a child, Izzy struggled to find stability after the move.

She became pregnant, relinquished her son to her father’s care, and found herself on the streets. Izzy became entangled with gangs and violence and also had violent partners who severely abused her. She had no idea what a healthy relationship looked like.

Ormiston Families’ Mpower service intervened to offer Izzy the support she needed. Her practitioner helped her to access contraception, secure stable accommodation and manage her finances. She also participated in outdoor activities and skill-building programs, helping her to gain confidence and develop essential life skills.

Mpower also helped Izzy to focus on nutrition, positive parenting and mental health management. She was also provided with a laptop to help her enrol in online courses to enhance her employability.

With the service’s holistic, non-judgmental support, Izzy experienced significant improvements in various aspects of her life. She gained confidence, learned invaluable skills and achieved stability.

Although challenges persisted, Izzy acknowledged her progress and remained committed to her goals. She completed a number of online social care training courses and secured work as a youth worker.

Izzy’s relationships with her family improved, and she found comfort and support within the Mpower community.

Learn more about Mpower.