Kemba’s Story
Case study from October 8, 2021
Kemba is mum to three kids, including her 13-year-old daughter who has Special Educational Needs and her 10 and 7-year-old sons. Kemba is proud that she has always worked, however, after fleeing an abusive relationship and moving to London from Manchester, she was forced to ask for help when she was made redundant due to COVID-19.
How did School-Home Support help Kemba?
Kemba was worried about money, housing and joblessness, and was struggling to understand the UK benefits system. School-Home Support put measures in place to ensure rent payments were mediated and the family are now fully supported with rent payments.
Kemba has an indefinite right to remain in the UK since moving from the Republic of Congo. With support from Amanda, her School-Home Support Practitioner, she was able to apply for Universal Credit. During the six week wait for the Universal Credit, Kemba let Amanda know that she had no money left for food. School-Home Support Practitioners referred her to the Enfield Food Bank service. They arranged for three weekly deliveries to be delivered to her house, as well as adding the family to a local referral system in Haringey where Kemba was able to collect meals from points across the borough she needed of extra.
Online learning during lockdown
The issues faced by the family all affected Kemba’s kids’ education. Alongside the housing and financial support, Amanda helped to make sure that all three children were learning during lockdown. School-Home Support provided the children with tablets to learn at home, and also provided dedicated educational support to the family to make sure that Kemba’s kids didn’t fall behind.
Ongoing support
When Kemba’s mother was diagnosed with cancer, the family was unable to fly home due to Covid-19 restrictions and financial concerns. School-Home Support organised and referred the family to a local support group to make sure that the family had a support network within their community.
Help us to support families like Kemba’s
For vulnerable families like Kemba’s, School-Home Support is vital.
Support our work today to enable us to reach more children and get them the help they need to get them ready to learn.