After being released from prison I was literally left with nothing, and had to move into my son’s bedsit with my grandson. I felt like things went from bad to worse on being released as I felt like I was faced with problem after problem.

I was referred to the Women In Prison’s Mental Health Inclusion Project as I was suffering from depression and post traumatic stress disorder. The first time I met my worker, I felt comfortable enough to tell her my story to help her understand how I had got to this place. 

My worker provided me with a lot of emotional support, I was able to phone her and meet with her regularly to let her know what was going on with me. It was helpful to be able to offload, as whilst trying to sort my own life out, I was fighting for the custody of my three grandchildren.

My worker supported me to attend viewings to see properties that my housing worker had found, and once I had secured a flat, I really felt like my life was beginning to turn around, especially after my worker helped me to fill out a community care grant form which helped me to buy furniture for my flat.

My worker helped me to appeal against my employment support allowance being stopped. She wrote supporting statements for me, and got in contact with my doctor and counsellor to get them to write supporting statements too. She also attended the tribunal with me, which I won. I feel like I wouldn’t have been able to do that without her support.  I am now focusing on resettling back into the community, I am now being supported by a different project at Women in Prison and I am still getting counselling at Women in Prison which is really helpful.

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