Saskia

Saskia* suffers from depression and anxiety as a result of domestic abuse. She left her husband and now brings up her four children. Two of her children have an autism diagnosis and she also has a new baby.

Saskia finds it difficult to keep a daily routine, manage the children’s behaviour and carry out household tasks. She wants to do things differently with her new baby as she feels she did not give her older children the best start and did not bond with them well. All of these factors plus financial instability increase Saskia’s level of anxiety, limiting her ability to cope.

Saskia’s family was matched to a Home-Start volunteer, Sonia*, who visited the family weekly for six months. Sonia provided a listening ear, emotional support and helped Saskia develop routines at home to meet her childrens’ needs. Sonia also helped Saskia to budget and manage her money more effectively.

Saskia feels more in control of her anxiety. Her confidence has grown and soon she and her baby will attend a Home-Start parenting programme. This programme will help Saskia focus on parent/child attachment enabling her to address her worries about bonding and provide a better start in life for her new baby.

* names changed to protect anonymity.