STEP UP’s story

I registered a client whilst working at my community Hub – a very nervous lady, and I could see right away the incredible strength it had taken for her to just walk through the door. It quickly became apparent that she was further away from the job-ready market than she realised.  After gaining her trust, she opened up; she had lots of issues in her life, but poor mental health and low confidence were very high on the list.

 

The positive aspect was that, despite her being incredibly anxious and suffering from regular panic attacks, she was quite open to trying things.  I quickly realised she wanted encouragement in the right direction but needed some hand-holding along the way.  We spoke about some of the different provisions available to supplement STEP UP’s support towards her gaining employment – she was very frustrated with how she was feeling and was also keen to try and understand things a little more.

 

From recently attending sessions at the recovery college in Wakefield, I knew they had a workshop coming up about panic attacks; however, it was short notice, and the online booking had closed.  I called them and explained who I was and a bit about the client’s situation, and they were able to book the client on the workshop.  Being already aware of the environment and having made the college aware of certain ‘triggers’, I knew she’d be well looked after.

 

The client called me the day following the workshop, and her whole mood had changed.  It had been such a positive experience for her –  she’d learned lots about one of the conditions that she was suffering with, some coping strategies, and a huge feeling of accomplishment that she’d taken that first step in the right direction.  She explained that she didn’t feel like the odd one out – there were others in the same boat as her, she didn’t have to speak if she didn’t want to and it gave her the confidence to attend others, which she’s since done.

 

I’d recommend the Wakefield Recovery College to both clients and advisors – it helped me gain a deeper understanding of topics and also identify symptoms that I had experienced.  It was also great for me to refer someone to a service that I’d personally experienced.  In this case, I felt that was crucial, as I could honestly explain to her exactly what to expect.  Another positive aspect was that it has also given her the confidence to attend other support and training sessions.  Sometimes the journey can be longer one, but this was the first step on to the right track to change her life.