A Vital Lifeline

We were first introduced to Lindsay when she was a child and attended our children sessions at Broxburn Family Centre. Lindsay's childhood experiences were traumatic, complicated and made life hard for her growing up. Over the years we became her 'safe space' and a vital support, until she left home and moved away. Lindsay is now a young mum of 3 young children and has reconnected due to her positive memories with us. Playbase, our outreach service, has become an invaluable part in continuing to be that on-going place of safety and giving her and her family the support they deserve.

Lindsay, her partner and their children, live an isolated existence. Their lives are dictated by the financial struggles of trying to manage on benefits, poor mental health, where Lindsay battles with suicidal ideations and she also self-harms as an outlet. Lindsay's default mode is to hide in the home with her anxiety: days can pass without her and the children leaving the
perceived safety of their home and garden. 

At Playbase we offer a 'professional friendship' approach to inspire the whole family to find out what they are capable of. We support them by try new things, making new friends and build confidence and resilience in the process. To date, the family have made the most of our opportunities that we offer: creating happy play memories through our social community events and play sessions, which have encouraged Lindsay to get the family outside and be more active together through play and exploring their local community, challenging their sedentary lifestyle and social isolation. Lindsay has worked hard on a 1:1 basis to talk about her mental health and on how to approach the pressures of being a parent. We have cooked together, spoke nutrition, discussed family routines and helped with signposting to other agencies for financial advice, furniture, clothing and toys. In tough times we have supported the family with Foodbank bank referrals, encouraging her to make GP appointments and discussed suicide care plans.

The whole family now all attend our play sessions and are more active and engaged. The family are happier and healthier. They are experiencing an increase in extended periods of calm, combined with a growing trust of people, both professionally and personally. They are slowly gaining more of a sense of agency and we have helped them build a foundation to weather the more difficult times that family life can produce. 

"You know all these years you have been like a mother to me, you have gotten me through so much stuff in life and some of it you don't know you got me through because you didn't know and still don't know but you still got me through it all. Having someone I trust to talk to helps. Thanks, I don't feel sick anymore and now only half my head is sore".