Harriet finds confidence and her voice

When Harriet first moved into our Coventry supported living home in 2023, it was a big step for her. She had been living with her mum and found the change very difficult.

“I felt quite different,” she says. “Like it felt different from what I was used to.”

Over time, Harriet began to settle into her new home. Today, she enjoys walking, exercising, arts and crafts, cooking and dancing. She spends time with her family and friends and has built a busy life around the things that matter to her. But getting to this point wasn’t always easy.

At times, Harriet really struggled with her mental health. During one particularly difficult time, she experienced voices and thoughts that felt completely real to her. She said: “No matter what anyone said to me or explained, I just thought it was true.”

She was worried that she would be admitted to hospital, but the team worked closely with the local Intensive Support Team to keep her at home, taking part in meetings, training and sessions to better understand Harriet’s experiences and learn how best to support her at home.

Harriet also attended art therapy and counselling twice a week, helping her to express her feelings and develop strategies to cope with how she was feeling.

The team took time to understand Harriet as a person and the things that were important to her. One of those things was her love of dogs. When Harriet moved away from home, she missed her dogs – staff recognised this and supported her to have a robotic sensory dog which quickly became a source of comfort and reassurance.

Her relationship with her mum has grown stronger since Harriet moved out of home. They now have their own space while still being an important part of each other’s lives.

She has become more independent too. One of her biggest achievements has been getting a car. Travelling on public transport had previously caused Harriet a lot of anxiety and could sometimes trigger distress. Having her own car has made it easier for her to get out and about independently.

Her new found confidence has also opened up new opportunities.

When home manager Tracy invited Harriet to apply to be an Oliver McGowan co-trainer, she decided to say yes. She felt nervous and excited when she interviewed for the role and now helps to deliver the training, sharing her lived experience and helping to educate others.

As well as this she is also a member of Nationwide – FitzRoy’s national forum where people come together to make decisions about FitzRoy and the support they receive. For Harriet, these opportunities are about more than simply taking part – they give her the chance to share her experiences and have a say about the things that matter to her and the life she wants to live.

Harriet says: “I enjoy sharing my story and educating others. I hope by sharing my experience I can help someone else.”

Another significant milestone came when Harriet was told she was ready to be discharged from her counselling and therapy services. The sessions had been an important part of her journey and initially Harriet thought finishing them might make her feel worried or upset. Instead, she felt proud. Being discharged was recognition of how far she had come.

Today, Harriet is happy in her home and enjoying life. She enjoys the things that matter to her – dancing, cooking, walking, spending time with the people who are important to her and using her voice to help others.

Harriet said: “If I could tell someone who’s struggling just one thing it would be that it doesn’t last forever, it gets better.”