In April 2021, one of our residents attended an Occupational Therapy clinic at Mary Seacole House and stated that he would like to work on his Maths and English skills, as he was not able to complete these at high school. Our resident had anxiety about travelling to Bolton to attend courses due to a past incident, so the team looked into ‘Back on Track’ which is based in Manchester.
‘Back on Track’ is a service which supports adults with a mental health diagnosis, or who may be struggling with addiction to access education, volunteering and work opportunities.
After completing his initial meeting with the assessor where he discussed his mental health diagnosis and the impact his brain injury has had on his memory and processing skills, Back on Track completed a basic skills assessment with him and they agreed for him to start Level 3 Maths and Level 1 English courses every week.
Initially, he would get the bus with staff to attend courses as part of a graded plan for increasing his confidence and familiarity with the route. Staff were able to work with him and build his confidence for getting the train.
After a few months with staff support and building familiarity with the route, our resident then felt he could travel independently in the mornings and the team agreed to meet him at the station afterwards.
Our resident is proud that he was able to achieve his goals for completing his English and Maths courses. He has expressed how much he feels his confidence has grown, specifically with using public transport and travelling through the Bolton area without feeling anxious: “It was very constructive (going to Back on Track). It assisted my progression for travelling independently. It was tailored and designed appropriately for people who need help. I have mental health problems, going to that place gave me the help I almost denied myself.”
Photo by Neil Thomas on Unsplash.
