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Several years ago while at university, Sophie was hit by a car. The accident had a traumatic effect on her nervous system and she also experienced some difficulty with her physical health.
Within a year, Sophie started to rely on crutches to move around and eventually needed a wheelchair. Sophie was diagnosed with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome along with Fibromyalgia.
Sophie also has epilepsy and the accident brought on non-epileptic seizures which she felt was stress and emotional-related. As a result, she struggled at times with her mental health, particularly depression, anxiety, stress, self-esteem and confidence.
When Sophie joined the project in December 2018, she said her long-term plans were to gain meaningful employment.
She wanted to work and was generally a motivated person with goals in her life, but her disability had thrown up a number of barriers that did not exist before her accident
In addition to a lack of self-esteem and self-confidence, Sophie also suffered from social isolation as she had to deal with her decline in mobility and increased need of a wheelchair and a part-time carer.
Acknowledging Sophie’s passion for sport, Andrew Herdman, our Employment Adviser, worked with her to find opportunities in disability sport and possible swimming coaching for disabled people. Sophie is now a very active open water swimmer and this is a real passion in her life.
To support Sophie with her mental health issues, she was also signposted to a course run by Illuminate, called ‘Confidence for Change’, and she has said that this has made a massive difference to her life with boosted confidence and self-esteem.
We supported Sophie with her Disability Benefits and to get a more suitable wheelchair through securing funding from several organisations – something Andrew and Sophie worked on together and were both successful through funding applications.
The outcome was that Sophie now has a much more independent lifestyle, one that allows her to be able to follow her desired career path.
“Since having the chair, my overall pain has been reduced daily enabling me to reduce a medication simply because of the added suspension in the front wheels/castors. Thanks to this reduction, I am now less drowsy and can concentrate on things much easier. This change is so drastic that people have noticed and commented that it is almost as if my head was constantly stuck in a cloud. But thanks to the reduction it isn’t anymore.
The wheelchair has had a tremendous impact on my mental health and my self-confidence. It has improved my confidence, self-esteem, my independence and I basically feel like a new person – it has literally changed my life.”
We then started to focus on possible education and training courses that would be relevant to Sophie’s ongoing development and confidence. This led to her completing the SEQ Level 2 Teaching Swimming (Blended Learning Course) with the Institute of Swimming and she is now working towards her full qualification.
Did they find the programme helpful?
Sophie said she found the project really helpful. She was not sure what direction to go in and was a bit lost, but she has now got her independence back through getting the new wheelchair and discovering her passion for swimming. She has increased her confidence and self-esteem and she is better interacting with people over the phone and face-to-face.
How would they describe the difference the programme has made?
Sophie has said the project has made a massive difference in her life. There was a big list of barriers to overcome in all aspects of her life including mental health, social interactions and motivation. She now feels that she has been able to tick all these items off the list and feels much more positive about life.
What new skills have they developed – both personally and to help their employment?
Confidence and extending IT skills, writing skills, becoming able to plan and a more confident communicator, especially on the phone.
What are their circumstances now? Are they in work, self-employed, or looking for work?
Sophie is currently engaged in her SEQ Level 2 Teaching Swimming (Blended Learning Course) with the Institute of Swimming and is looking forward to perhaps working as a swimming coach or becoming self-employed in the future.
How do they feel about their life now?
Sophie has said her life is a lot easier. She is more active, more independent, able to accept help from others, and more able to help others. She also added that she feels more organised, she is not lost anymore (she felt she lost her identity) and that she has more direction, drive and focus in her life.
Community Connections South is funded by The European Social Fund and The National Lottery Community Fund
