What was the situation?
Tragically, Holly’s father died when she was eight as the result of drugs. Holly and her two older sisters and younger brother have all reacted differently to losing their dad and dealing with four children alone has been a very lonely and tough time for their mum Vicky.
As a result of dealing with this traumatic bereavement at such an early age and under such difficult circumstances, Holly’s behaviour has become more aggressive at home and Holly has been physically and verbally reactive to some of her family members. Living through such an unsettling time at home and trying to work through and process some very complex emotions, Holly’s older siblings turned to self harm to try and cope with their feelings. Life at home had become very hard for the whole family.
How did School-Home Support help?
School-Home Support practitioner Julie started to work with Vicky, Holly, and her siblings. It was clear Vicky had been trying to manage the situation but needed support and now was the right time for her to meet Julie. At this point Holly’s attendance was just 87.5%. Her inability to deal with her inner turmoil meant that she found attending school very difficult. Her school was worried about the problems she was facing and the knock-on effect of her behaviour. Julie worked with the school and the family to build a relationship and quickly troubleshoot what were the main issues and how to help support them.
Julie sought funding through Buttle UK and it was agreed that counselling would be the most beneficial tool for Holly to help manage her emotions and ultimately create better relationships at home and enable her to feel more confident about going to school.
Julie ensured Holly knew she was there as a trusted voice to help and listen and ultimately support her with the tools she learnt in her counselling. They discussed strategies and Julie supported her with finding healthier ways of expressing her emotions and dealing with her feelings. This in turn made Holly more confident about attending school and having more of a school routine. By the end of the academic year Holly’s attendance had increased to 98.5%, and she was building better relationships with her siblings which led to a happier home life. Vicky was very grateful she had someone she could confide in and help her build a good relationship with the school.
Julie also helped secure passes for a local attraction for a year which meant the family could spend some quality and fun time together with activities during the holidays. The financial burden of being a single parent family was also slightly alleviated by Julie accessing School-Home Support’s Uniform Fund which meant Holly had the right uniform which fitted her and was in keeping with her friends.
Holly said: ‘Seeing my counsellor has really helped me talk about my feelings. I used to feel very cross and I don’t know why but I now feel calmer after my sessions and Julie helps me with my feelings too. Me, my sisters, my little brother and my mum have had some really fun days out and I feel more happy about going to school and talking to my friends.’
Vicky said: ‘Initially I was very sceptical about meeting Julie and what was going to happen. The past two years have been really tough on all of us but I am so glad Holly is getting the support she needs which is already helping her relationship with her siblings. Julie has been brilliant and we couldn’t have done without her.’
We need your support to reach more children like Holly. Our ‘Champions for Children’ campaign is now open and we are aiming to raise £40,000 to help children in London access the support they need to be happy in school. Find out more and donate.