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Client Case Study

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Please describe a relationship, service intervention, program implementation, policy, or other that you initiated or know about that would be considered trauma-informed:

I received a referral from MARAC for a client. She had been referred into MARAC as a victim of domestic violence and more recently as a perpetrator as she has stabbed her mam and sister during a disturbance at her mother’s house. The client had been through a lot of trauma as a child and as an adult. I referred her to Turing Point for support with her mental health and supported her to these appointments. Her accommodation was no longer suitable as she was living in a 3-bedroom house on her own as her children had been taken into care. In addition to this her recent offence was committed against her mother and sister who live only a few minutes’ walk away.

Her previous relationship ended after her partner held her hostage in a room for several days and abused her. This was in the house she was still living in and she did not feel safe. I worked with the local housing team and applied for a discretionary housing payment until she got a house move. In a number of weeks, she was moved to a 2-bedroom flat in a different area so ex-partner would not know where she lived. This improved her physical and mental health as she felt safe therefore, she was less anxious and slept better. The move instigated continuous phone calls and texts from her ex-partner. As the client had a restraining order against him, he was not allowed to have any contact with her. I supported the client to go to the police and her phone was seized. Her ex-partner was arrested and let out on bail until the court hearing.

I supported the client to attend court with a police escort to ensure our safety. Her ex-partner was convicted in his absence and was sentenced to custody. This helped the client feel even more safe and gave her a sense of validation as she had been listened to and others agreed his behaviour was unacceptable. The client needed to see her GP regularly for medication and sicknotes. I supported her to attend these appointments as she did not feel she could go alone but she needed her medication. The client was previously addicted to heroin and was on a drug treatment plan. We worked together to support the client especially in times of stress to prevent her turning back to drugs. The client was advised to stop job seekers allowance and go on employment and support allowance. I helped the client change benefits and attended her medical appointment with her. Once her benefits were established this relieved some of her stress and anxiety as she did not have to actively look for work.

The client had very little confidence and self-esteem, so we completed a level 2 short course in assertive communication. She was amazed when she completed the course, and this gave her the confidence to complete another course with Media Savey.  Again, this gave her confidence a massive boost. It also allowed her to socialise with other people on the course who had shared similar experiences. Gradually we reduced our appointments as the clients physical and mental health had improved. All other aspects of her life were stable and she had made new friends. She regained contact with her teenage daughter and eventually she moved in with her. BY the end of her probation order she was happy to end the support, confident that she was in a good place.

 

What was the outcome?  

The client was able to live a productive life without intensive support and had regained her relationship with her eldest daughter. She remained drug free (on a drug treatment plan), had more confidence in her own abilities and completed 2 accredited courses.

 

What supported the positive outcome? (Systemic supports? Organizational supports? Interpersonal supports?):

When discussing this with the client she felt that having a consistent member of staff to support her worked well. Although other specialist agencies were brought in to support her, to have that one person to co-ordinate it all and to support her to access other services really helped. The support she received did not just focus on one aspect of her it focused on the whole picture to provide a wrap around service.

 

Tell us more about what motivated you to bring this example to discuss:

The client did well and changed her life for the better. She felt more able to cope with her past trauma and was ready to focus on her future. The trauma she went through affected most aspects of her life, so she need support with multiple things. I think this is important as if we had just focussed on the trauma, she had been through she would not have changed her life in the same way and the outcome would not have been as positive.

 

Whose needs are met in the example that you outline:

The clients.

 

Was there any one person or factor that was central to the success of your example and why:

The time and support she received and multi-agency working providing that wrap around service. Not focusing on just the trauma but focusing on all the client’s needs. The relationship between the client and the support worker was also very important.

 

What can you or others do to spread this good practice to colleagues and services:

Provide a service where the clients are given time and compassion to build a positive relationship. Bring in other specialist services when needed to provide a wrap around service that meets all the client’s needs.

 

 

 

Tags: relational reparation, compassionate and transformational leadership

Published: 2021-08-21