Meet Jessica

Working with Browns, Jessica and family were able to move to a lovely new home, improving the whole family’s health and wellbeing and work towards her dream of becoming a midwife.

Jessica is a 34 year old mother of four children, three of which live with her. The temporary accommodation she had been placed in was in disrepair, with consistent mould issues resulting in the hospitalisation of her younger children on several occasions. Her lack of confidence meant she struggled to get her concerns heard by the authorities and she felt lost in the system. She also needed support with her personal ambition to become a midwife.

The issues they were facing: 

Jessica wanted to move from her accommodation due to poor conditions of damp and mould which resulted in her children having ill health and was getting more and more scared about the situation. But she lacked in confidence and struggled to speak to anyone in an authoritative position, whether this was in person or over the phone – she felt she had never been heard. Jessica had previous Social Workers involved with her family and she had concerns that 2 of her children were showing signs of autism.

The Browns team supported Jessica and her family by;

• Repeatedly called property maintenance, the landlord, environmental health, and the local council for inspections on the property. 
• At one point, Browns were told there was no record of Jessica or her housing application on the system, yet she had been placed in temporary accommodation for almost 4 years! This added to Jessica’s sense of feeling lost in the system. 
• Browns contacted Shelter for legal advice. 
• Contact was made with the family’s GP, hospital, paediatrician and children’s school to gather as much evidence and information regarding the children’s health and wellbeing. 
• This information was submitted to the Council alongside a letter detailing their legal duty towards their tenant.  
• Browns bridged the gap between the services involved; social services and environmental health made inspections and a notice of repairs, deeming the property uninhabitable. 
• Browns also supported Jessica in completing the process for CAHMS referrals for her two children for an assessment of Autism and ADHD

Life has changed for Jessica and her family

The family were moved to a brand-new property! The fresh environment has had a positive impact on the family’s general wellbeing and indeed the children’s health. Her children were also moved to a closer school, with the youngest now attending the local nursery. 

Jessica has been able to talk to people expressing herself with a more positive outlook on life and with a structure and routine in place for the children and lesser stresses with their health; she finally felt ready to enrol and start a Level 3 Diploma in Social Care. Jessica aspires to become a midwife and this brings her one step closer to that dream.

“I never felt good enough. This service has really helped me – making me more confident in myself to do things for myself. Without this service I would not have been moved.”