Rachel was living in a hostel before she came to Nomad. Prior to this, she had been sofa-surfing for three years after leaving the family home at 16 due to abuse and suffering from severe depression and anxiety. Rachel had been experiencing bullying at the hostel, felt coerced into relationships, and over time became scared to leave her room, feeling unsafe. With her mental health worsening, she referred herself to Nomad.
Rachel moved into the training flats with another ‘matched’ female tenant. The two formed a close bond – Rachel learned how to cook and clean from her housemate, and in turn, Rachel helped her housemate to overcome her agoraphobia and anxiety.
Rachel lived in the training flats for longer than the usual 6 months because she needed support with her mental health before moving onto independent living. During this time, Rachel developed skills around budgeting and managing a home, realising her own value.
After Rachel moved to private rented accommodation and no longer needed support from us, she decided to volunteer with us. After 6 months, we secured Talent Match funding to offer her part-time work, which gave her structure as she transitioned into paid work. The Talent Match funding gave Rachel her first job that was a career choice rather than simply a job, and their additional support and celebration of her achievements meant that, in time, she recognised that mental health issues were not a barrier to fulfilling her potential.
At the end of 9 months, Rachel had the skills, knowledge, confidence, and self-belief to get a job as a Support Worker within the mental health field, where she supports people who have severe and enduring mental illnesses. We were able to say goodbye to Rachel, safe in the knowledge that she had developed the tools she needed to make a success of her new role.
