Patricia's Story
Prior to working with Karbon’s Foundations for Life team towards the end of last year, Patricia found that she often experienced feelings of low mood and was struggling to care for herself and her home; she had even lost interest in trying to go outside.
Patricia said it felt better to shut off from the world than to let anyone see how bad she was feeling. She described this as her “rock bottom”. She was isolated, scared, angry and felt as though there was no one for her to reach out to.
In Autumn 2022, Patricia was looking to move house and contacted Karbon Homes for support. She received a visit from her Housing Officer Louise and told her about how she wanted to move to a safer area. She also shared with Louise a lot about the things she was struggling with.
Patricia said she felt Louise really listened to her and understood the way she was feeling. Louise referred Patricia over to Karbon Homes’ Foundations for Life team for wellbeing support.
In October, Patricia first met Ryan, one of Karbon’s Senior Support Workers. Ryan specialises in working 1-to-1 with customers, delivering wellbeing support across areas such as mental health management, improving life skills, helping with budgeting and accessing wellbeing services.
Karbon Homes’ Foundations For Life team provide support for a range of life challenges to communities across the North East.
Patricia shared her story with Ryan, telling him she had realised that she was not in a good place and wanted to work on her difficulties with mental health and self-care. She explained that she wanted to move home to a safer area where she could have a fresh start.
While working with Patricia, Ryan identified that she would benefit from working with services around her social anxiety and support with experiencing ongoing domestic violence.
“Ryan’s visits and calls directly helped. He really sat with me and listened and took the time to understand me as a person and helped me develop knowledge of things that can help to move on in the future. Ryan has referred me to services that can help me with my mental health, housing and safety.
Before this, I never would have spoken about the things I have went through, I felt like a ‘freak’, but Ryan has listened and made me feel that I am OK even if I am struggling. The support has helped me come to terms with my mental health, and that there are other services out there who can help.”
Patricia has now been supported for over six months with managing her mental health and living skills, as well as other issues such as completing forms, housing applications and referrals to mental health and domestic abuse support services.
Patricia was also put in touch with Karbon’s Money Matters team, who assisted her in applying for a discretionary housing payment, helping her with rent shortfall. They have subsequently helped her to set up a repayment plan for arrears. The Safer Community team have also improved the safety of Patricia’s home by installing locks and alarms.
“Throughout the support, Ryan has encouraged me with communicating with services myself, I now feel I can talk properly with others and engage with services on my own.
I feel important and not alone in this world and that I do belong. I feel more confident, and I feel more ready to work with services in theoretical and practical ways. I feel I have changed from somewhere dark to having a good source of support around me for my future.
When mental health creeps in, I now know I can contact people and services who can help. Without Ryan, I would not have known nor attempted to contact any of the services I am now working with.”
Looking ahead, Patricia will soon begin volunteering for animals in her local area and will be training as a peer supporter/mentor for drug and alcohol users via the North Tyneside Recovery Partnership.
Patricia will also be providing input to the council, police and housing commissioners around the experience of recovery and the journey that people may go through. She will share the impact that different services can have on recovery from the perspective of being a service user, and will provide information from her experiences to help promote and adapt services in the area.
In the future, Patricia wants to explore returning to education and work towards a qualification in psychology and cognitive neuroscience, so she can use that information to help others who are struggling with their mental health.
If Patricia’s story strikes a chord with you, or you are struggling with your own mental health, please do get in touch with us here at Karbon Homes, we offer support that's tailored specifically to our customer's individual needs.
This may be help with mental health, learning disability, homelessness, substance misuse or any other life challenge.
If you would like to find out more about how our specialised team can support you, please contact us by emailing foundations@karbonhomes.co.uk or calling 0191 223 8750.
Patricia's Story
Prior to working with Karbon’s Foundations for Life team towards the end of last year, Patricia found that she often experienced feelings of low mood and was struggling to care for herself and her home; she had even lost interest in trying to go outside.
Patricia said it felt better to shut off from the world than to let anyone see how bad she was feeling. She described this as her “rock bottom”. She was isolated, scared, angry and felt as though there was no one for her to reach out to.
In Autumn 2022, Patricia was looking to move house and contacted Karbon Homes for support. She received a visit from her Housing Officer Louise and told her about how she wanted to move to a safer area. She also shared with Louise a lot about the things she was struggling with.
Patricia said she felt Louise really listened to her and understood the way she was feeling. Louise referred Patricia over to Karbon Homes’ Foundations for Life team for wellbeing support.
In October, Patricia first met Ryan, one of Karbon’s Senior Support Workers. Ryan specialises in working 1-to-1 with customers, delivering wellbeing support across areas such as mental health management, improving life skills, helping with budgeting and accessing wellbeing services.
Karbon Homes’ Foundations For Life team provide support for a range of life challenges to communities across the North East.
Patricia shared her story with Ryan, telling him she had realised that she was not in a good place and wanted to work on her difficulties with mental health and self-care. She explained that she wanted to move home to a safer area where she could have a fresh start.
While working with Patricia, Ryan identified that she would benefit from working with services around her social anxiety and support with experiencing ongoing domestic violence.
“Ryan’s visits and calls directly helped. He really sat with me and listened and took the time to understand me as a person and helped me develop knowledge of things that can help to move on in the future. Ryan has referred me to services that can help me with my mental health, housing and safety.
Before this, I never would have spoken about the things I have went through, I felt like a ‘freak’, but Ryan has listened and made me feel that I am OK even if I am struggling. The support has helped me come to terms with my mental health, and that there are other services out there who can help.”
Patricia has now been supported for over six months with managing her mental health and living skills, as well as other issues such as completing forms, housing applications and referrals to mental health and domestic abuse support services.
Patricia was also put in touch with Karbon’s Money Matters team, who assisted her in applying for a discretionary housing payment, helping her with rent shortfall. They have subsequently helped her to set up a repayment plan for arrears. The Safer Community team have also improved the safety of Patricia’s home by installing locks and alarms.
“Throughout the support, Ryan has encouraged me with communicating with services myself, I now feel I can talk properly with others and engage with services on my own.
I feel important and not alone in this world and that I do belong. I feel more confident, and I feel more ready to work with services in theoretical and practical ways. I feel I have changed from somewhere dark to having a good source of support around me for my future.
When mental health creeps in, I now know I can contact people and services who can help. Without Ryan, I would not have known nor attempted to contact any of the services I am now working with.”
Looking ahead, Patricia will soon begin volunteering for animals in her local area and will be training as a peer supporter/mentor for drug and alcohol users via the North Tyneside Recovery Partnership.
Patricia will also be providing input to the council, police and housing commissioners around the experience of recovery and the journey that people may go through. She will share the impact that different services can have on recovery from the perspective of being a service user, and will provide information from her experiences to help promote and adapt services in the area.
In the future, Patricia wants to explore returning to education and work towards a qualification in psychology and cognitive neuroscience, so she can use that information to help others who are struggling with their mental health.
If Patricia’s story strikes a chord with you, or you are struggling with your own mental health, please do get in touch with us here at Karbon Homes, we offer support that's tailored specifically to our customer's individual needs.
This may be help with mental health, learning disability, homelessness, substance misuse or any other life challenge.
If you would like to find out more about how our specialised team can support you, please contact us by emailing foundations@karbonhomes.co.uk or calling 0191 223 8750.
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