REAL LIFE STORIES
M – CASE STUDY
M CASE STUDY
16 year old gender fluid young person. Struggling with school, relationships and the impact of child sexual abuse. Creative and kind.
MENTORED
BY CLAIRE
Background
The initial aim for mentoring was helping M understand, and unravel the complex feelings that they are experiencing.
Over tea and hot chocolate we were able to start working out where M’s distress was coming from and begin to work out a plan for managing it.
Once we had built trust, M was able to come out in the car with me and we often drove to the beach, looking at the ocean helped us have some difficult conversations around what had happened to them. M was able to articulate how unsafe they felt at home and school.
Mentoring
Referred by School, M was really struggling with mood, managing school work and relationships.There was a history of domestic violence and serious parental mental illness, and M had experienced sexual abuse.
Identifying as genderfluid, M had changed their name. At high risk of becoming NEET, M was feeling very hopeless about the future. We supported M to attend a school meeting to discuss next steps and plan for moving to another provision.
We supported M to talk to a social worker and make a plan for moving out. We have applied for a school place, driving licence, bank account and universal credit.
“They’ve got their voice back”
Mum
Where are they now?
M is about to move schools and is going to stay with a friend and their family. This is a positive choice and is rooted in wanting to feel safe and move on with their life. They are choosing themselves and have developed the language they need to advocate for their needs and wants. They are feeling hopeful about the future and more confident about being in the world.
