'The flat was so damp even the furniture was mouldy.'
Kate used to live in a small flat with her son Darren aged 10. Darren has autism. At school he is a high achiever but finds socialising challenging and the condition of his home intolerable.
Kate also has learning difficulties, but she is very committed to her son and does everything she can do to keep him happy. They both lived in a flat, which was severely damp. Most of their furniture had mould growing on it, which made the place very difficult to live in.
Kate and Darren spent most of their time away from the flat because of its conditions. On a daily basis, Kate used to sleep in a chair in her small kitchen as there was mould growing on her bed. Their clothes were always quite damp and smelly and also mouldy at times.
Due to Darren's autism, the living conditions were not helping him. There were times when Darren became physically aggressive towards Kate and sometimes lost control over himself, which made things very challenging.
They were at the risk of becoming homeless as they had problems with their landlord and their housing officer advised that it could take up to two years for them to move due to housing shortages.
She was at a loss. She didn't know what to do as the living conditions were so bad. The help she received from Action for Children changed her life.
We supported Kate with re-housing and gave support to help manage their relationship with Darren. Her support worker met with her weekly. He accompanied her to see the housing worker, supported her to make contact with the ward councillor and after many meetings Kate and Darren were re-housed. They were both so happy with the outcome after living in mouldy conditions for years.
Kate also received support around managing her son’s frustrations. She is now able to understand her son better and is working harder to understand his behaviour.
They’re both really happy in their new home. Their relationship is much better and he is a lot calmer in his new surroundings and is excelling well at school.