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Sarah has always struggled with her independence, growing up deaf in a hearing family. Now she has a family of her own, she relies on the support of her personal assistant and a BSL interpreter, and household setbacks can have a profound effect on her daily life. In this case study, we learn how a welfare grant from Family Action made a big difference.
Sarah was born deaf into a hearing family, where she received little support until she was in her teens. She is now a lone parent of two small children and, due to a difficult relationships in the past, is unable to rely on her wider family for support. Because of her childhood experiences, she suffers with low mood and anxiety and has been referred for counselling with Sign Health by her GP, but there is a considerable waiting time.
Sarah struggles to communicate with the hearing community and has the help of a personal assistant on two mornings a week, who supports her with appointments she may need to attend. Sarah has been supported strongly under a Child Protection plan and a Children In Need plan – now under Early Help from Children’s Services, she will be stepped down to the family centre soon.
Daily setbacks can have a big impact on Sarah’s family life. Recently, her washing machine stopped working and attempts to fix it were unsuccessful. The cost of living crisis means that Sarah is struggling financially and, with two small children to feed and clothe, she doesn’t have any savings to fall back on.
Saving for a new washing machine was an impossible task. She was worried about taking out credit as she does not understand the written words of English as a hearing person would, and always needs the support of a BSL interpreter as well as her personal assistant for any appointments she attends.
Seeing she how much a new washing machine would change Sarah and her children’s daily lives, her social worker referred her to Family Action Grants Programme, who supported Sarah with a welfare grant of £250 for a new washing machine.
The children are now well presented in clean clothes and this boosts Sarah's confidence when professionals tell her that her children look nice.
Her referrer told us, “Sarah is profoundly deaf and can struggle to maintain her independence, often relying on professionals to do things for her. Having the new washing machine has encouraged Sarah to do the family washing by herself – she was really excited to have the new machine and be shown how to use it.
“Sarah ordered her new washing machine with the support of her PA, she said that it felt really good to be able to do this without her family telling her what she needed to buy. This has significantly impacted Sarah’s self confidence and self esteem. The application process was really easy and straightforward to complete, the bonus was how quick the grant application was heard and the outcome given.”
Oh wow, its lovely, I'm excited! When I can put the first washing on?
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