Chloe had experienced a challenging upbringing living with her mum and mum’s partner for just ten years of her childhood. Due to a strained relationship with the latter, she left home at seventeen, moving in with a friend’s family. As she approached eighteen, the family decided they could no longer accommodate her, and she was referred to the Leaving care team (local offer for care leavers).
Chloe had previously experienced physical and mental abuse, struggled with self-harm, and made multiple suicide attempts so was moved into Key’s higher needs supported accommodation. However, she found her first placement overwhelming so was transferred to a smaller, more private living space, better suited to her needs.
Once Chloe moved to a smaller property, she gradually began to trust the staff. She started confiding in them, sharing when she had self-harmed or taken tablets. Staff worked intensively with Chloe, building a strong relationship, offering support, and encouraging her to express her feelings and discuss the triggers behind her actions.
Chloe was engaging with multiple agencies at this time, including drug and alcohol services, the mental health team, and her social worker. A number of multi-agency meetings were arranged to ensure she received the right support. However, after several months, Chloe’s mental health began to deteriorate, due to unresolved trauma from her past.
Chloe had been secretly planning to take her own life and was in a very vulnerable state. When staff became aware of her intentions, they acted quickly, contacting the mental health team. As a result, Chloe was admitted to a mental health hospital, where she was detained for eight weeks to ensure her safety.
Chloe gradually began to accept the support being offered and was diagnosed with emotionally unstable personality disorder and prescribed medication to help manage her symptoms. Upon returning to the accommodation, staff continued to collaborate with other professionals to ensure her support needs were met, involving her engaging in twelve weeks of further therapy.
Over time, her confidence started to grow, and she began to feel more optimistic about her future. Chloe now referred to the supported accommodation property as her home and staff helped her progress to set meaningful goals aimed at building a brighter and more independent future.
After living in supported accommodation for thirteen months, Chloe felt confident and ready to take the next step into independent living. She now has her own home and feels optimistic about what lies ahead. Chloe is enrolling in college, with hopes of eventually attending university to pursue a career in nursing. She often expresses deep gratitude for the support she received from staff, saying she never imagined she would be able to achieve the goals she has. Chloe is in a good place emotionally and is genuinely excited about her future.
If you’d like to make a donation to Key and help support young people like Chloe, please visit our donation page.
*Please note that names may have been changed and stock photography used to preserve the anonymity of this young person
Photo by Masoud Mostafaei on Unsplash