REAL LIFE STORIES
J – CASE STUDY
J CASE STUDY
16 year old, NEET and barely left the house. Very attached to carer. Very excited to drive when 17.
MENTORED
BY CHLOE
Background
J and his siblings were taken into the care of his Auntie, with her 2 children, and they moved house a lot. J became very attached to his Auntie due to the complex background of being in the care system. He has ADHD and an EHCP and now being year 12, was not in education, employment or training. J also was grieving the death of his close cousin who passed away in a recent car accident. J found it very hard to socialise with people he didn’t know and barely went out. Eating was a problem due to his health anxiety.
Mentoring
The first session with his mentor, his Auntie attended. J did not want to talk very much and felt anxious about meeting someone new. Sessions slowly built up to 1-2-1 without Auntie being present. They had their sessions in the same cafe for around 4 sessions until J felt like he wanted to start going for a walk around the local town.
Gradually, their mentor relationship built and J felt more confident to try new things. liked looking at houses, so some sessions they would go around looking in the window of estate agents. J was desperate to drive when he turned 17 in 2 months. J knew he needed a job to be able to pay for it. J and Chloe worked together to search and apply for jobs.
This built J’s confidence a lot because he had to talk to new people. J was going out alot more in his own time, meeting old friends. J and Chloe talked every week about his eating and slowly he would come to each session excited to tell Chloe about anew food he had tried. They spent a lot of time talking about the importance of food and the impact it has on our bodies and energy levels.
Where are they now?
J now has a job at a local clothes shop which he has to get public transport to. He works 4 days a week, saving for his driving lessons. J goes out a lot more with friends, with Auntie saying she barely sees him anymore.
J was excited to tell Chloe he stayed over at a friends which he hasn’t done in years. J is going to concerts and has found his freedom and independence. He is now looking into an apprenticeship to become an estate agent.
