As part of our Magical Moments campaign we spoke to Jane about what the support from our Intensive Family Support programme has meant to her.
Jane is a retired social worker from Glasgow, and a kinship carer for her teenage granddaughter, Eve. They have been receiving support from our Intensive Family Support team over the last 8 months.
“Eve means the world to me, and I want everything for her.”
It’s clear from the moment we met Jane the love that she has for her family, in particular her 14 year old granddaughter, Eve. Eve came to live with her gran after welfare concerns at home, and for Jane having a young person in the house again, was overwhelming and challenging.
Families are referred to our Intensive Family Support team when social work feel it’s reached a ‘crisis point’ at home. Our team work with the whole family, including kinship carers, to help them create healthier relationships and a happier home life.
When the family started receiving the support Jane thought it was mainly going to benefit Eve, however she quickly found that it was actually herself that needed reassurance that she was doing a great job.
“I thought the support worker was coming for Eve, I was saying to everybody that I was fine and that I never needed anybody. But I don’t know what I would do without Linzi from Right There and that’s the truth.”
The family’s support worker Linzi visits once a week providing Jane with emotional support and advice, which has helped her to gain confidence and deal with challenging situations with Eve.
“I have always been able to handle things on my own, but I just felt with having a teenager back in the house it was really hard. I was struggling, and I didn’t even realise it.
Eve has had no structure in her life so trying to get a routine was difficult, and I wasn’t going out of the house either. But now I can ask Linzi anything, and she always gives me helpful advice. She’s also helping me to get out of the house more as well.
The support has taken a big weight off of my shoulders because some days I felt as if I was going to explode, then I would chat to Linzi and it would help so much. She would provide me with reassurance that I was doing everything right and there was nothing more I could do.
Even though we’ve had support in place, I’ve got a great relationship with Eve, I’ve had her on and off since she was born. I used to have her every weekend and she always said when she was younger, I’m going to stay with you forever and ever Gran. I didn’t expect to get her the way I did but unfortunately that’s what happened.”
Over 40% of children in care live with kinship carers* and by providing support to not only the young person but the whole family, we hope to equip them with the tools to take on life together.
Thanks to the support from Linzi, Jane has been able to nurture her relationship with her granddaughter as well as feel confident as a role-model to Eve.
“The support means everything to me, and what’s been magical about it has been meeting Linzi.”
By donating £28 to our Magical Moments campaign, you could be helping vulnerable families create stronger family bonds that equip them to enjoy and take on life together.
