A was referred to the Brighter Futures Project by school due to her struggles dealing with anxiety. AM would have frequent panic attacks in social situation and during exams. Due to A’s struggles with her worries, we ran the STILL Method intervention, where A attended 8 sessions in school, through home visits and digital sessions.
A engaged well during the sessions. She was able to speak openly about her worries, her thoughts, feelings, and actions in relation to her “anxiety”. A set weekly laddering goals for herself to improve her social confidence. These goals included asking shop keepers how their day has been and initiating a cinema trip with her friends.
The support ended during the summer holidays of 2022. However, when A returned to school, she became Bishop Vaughn’s new “Wellbeing Ambassador”, which both A and her mother believe can be attributed to her new mindset and coping tools, through engaging with the Brighter Futures delivery of the STILL Method.
| Area of support | Change in score |
| Pro-Social Scale | +1 (10) |
| Hyperactivity Scale | // (3) |
| Emotional Scale | -2 (6) |
| Conduct Scale | -2 (0) |
| Peer Scale | // (5) |
| Total difference | -4 (18-> 14) |
A’s SDQ results further highlight the progress made in A’s wellbeing. A’s total score has changed categories since the pre to the post results, meaning that A went from being categorised in the “raised need” bracket, to reaching the “low need/average” bracket of results.
In addition, A’s pro-social behaviours improved, alongside a reduction in conduct issues and a reduction in emotional difficulties. The parental feedback form completed by A’s mother also portrays A’s remarkable development during the intervention and her positive opinions of the support the Brighter Futures Project offered. For instance, A’s mother scored 5/5s across the 3 categories of “quality of support”, “progress made by the young person”, and “the worker’s understanding of the client’s needs”.
Moreover, A’S mother wrote further thoughts on the impact the Brighter Futures Project has had on A, “Jake was amazing with my daughter. He understood her struggles and didn’t push her. A is so much more confident now. Thank you so much Jake, you’ve made such a difference.”
A’s mother also reached out to us with an update after the support had ended to tell of the further positive differences she had noticed in her daughter. “Thank you so much for everything you have done for A, she really is like a different child. So much more confident. She’s even a wellbeing ambassador for the school now. You’ve made such a difference to her. Thank you.”
