After a One YMCA support worker realised that Zofia wasn’t able to engage in a parenting course because she couldn’t speak English very well, the team found a solution that helped Zofia learn new skills to support herself and her four-year-old son.
Zofia and her son were living in a refuge after leaving an abusive relationship. She attended a YMCA-run parenting course in February but it soon became apparent that she wasn’t able to fully participate in the sessions as her English was limited.
The facilitator had a discussion with Zofia and they agreed that she would benefit from specialist support. At that point she was referred to the family centre and, with the support of a Polish member of the team, we were able to complete the support package in Zofia’s home language.
The family also have a Child in Need (CIN) Plan in place and the work we are doing with Zofia now forms part of this plan. We discussed the additional support we could give her, and Zofia next plans to take part in a Protective Behaviours package to help her son’s development. The course will teach them how to recognise when they’re not feeling safe and provide them with skills and tools to take action and get help if they need it.
The difference it’s made
Recognising Zofia’s difficulties engaging with the original session and delivering the course in Polish has been a turning point for the family and Zofia is now engaging well with the process. If the family centre staff had not adapted the way support was delivered there was a great risk that the family would have disengaged and not received the support they needed.
