FOR PARENTS and carers, juggling the demands of raising a family with their own needs can be very difficult.

Keeping on top of everything can become overwhelming, sometimes impacting upon mental health and wellbeing.

For Bradford mum Sarah Khan, her many commitments left her feeling unable to cope.

“I was very low in confidence, my youngest was in and out of hospital and my oldest was getting excluded from lessons at school,” she says. “All the appointments with school and hospital got in the way and stopped me taking care of myself. I had no routines. When the children were at school all I would do is eat junk food and sleep.

“The situation was becoming very difficult to manage and it had begun to affect my mental health. I had no confidence and felt worthless. The difficulties at home and my mental health were stopping me getting into the work I wanted to do.”

Sarah, 32, was referred by her local Jobcentre to Barnardo’s Stronger Families, a two-year project running until September 2019 which aims to help parents get back into, or be prepared for, work.

The programme, which recently celebrated its first anniversary, runs across Bradford and Leeds, in partnership with Bradford Council and Leeds City Council, which is the lead partner. It is delivered through a partnership of voluntary sector organisations who are locally based in communities across the two cities.

Tailored to each participant and their family, Stronger Families aims to help people when the pressures of life get in the way and when families face challenges in being able to develop their skills and move towards the world of work. The service offers specialist help in areas including supporting health and well-being, accessing debt and financial advice and building employability skills.

Sarah was hesitant at first but was reassured by her key worker, assigned by Barnardo’s.

“She explained that my involvement with the service was voluntary and they would help me set and achieve goals,” she says. “She listened to me and helped me to put my routines in place. It felt good to know I had someone on my side. Along with helping with routines, she arranged for my family to go on some trips with Stronger Families.”

On the day of the first trip, to a farm, Sarah’s children were playing up and she did not feel like going, but her key worker gently persuaded her.

“She knew that I was able to do it and that I would have a good time - she was right. We had a great day out, and the boys loved it. She could see all along what I was capable of and helped to bring it out of me.”

After addressing issues at home, Sarah’s future plans were discussed. “I was worried about signing up for college to begin teaching assistant training because of all the appointments I had to attend,” she says. “My key worker helped me to rationalise the decision and I am now studying for my qualification.

“Stronger Families is full of support and helps to get you where you want to be.”

As well as farm trips there have been family art sessions and wellbeing walks. The project - funded with £3.5 million funding from the National Lottery, through the Big Lottery Fund and the European Social Fund - has supported families with a range of needs, including recovery from domestic abuse, complex housing and debt issues and anxiety and health problems.

It marked the anniversary with an event at the University of Bradford for all the families who have worked with the programme.

Stronger Families aims to help people when the pressures of life get in the way and when families face challenges in being able to develop their skills and move towards the world of work. The service offers specialist help and support in a number of areas including supporting health and well-being, accessing debt and financial advice and building employability skills. It is tailored to each participant and their family.

Gemma Pearson, 32, from Bradford, was referred to Stronger Families by the Jobcentre. “I explained that my biggest barrier to finding sustainable employment was my mental health and the difficulties it caused my day to day life.

“I was struggling to see a way out of the situation - I was unable to leave my house much, as my anxiety was extremely debilitating and when I did I had to take taxis which had a huge impact upon my finances. I had very little confidence and a very low self-esteem.”

Stronger Families helped Gemma to find help for her mental health through the charity Touchstone.

She is now on medication for her mental illnesses and accessing the relevant therapy needed to help her. “This has enabled me to tackle my anxiety so I now no longer need taxis to leave my house. As a result I have become fitter, gained confidence and lost weight.

“They have also helped me to access courses and projects that will help me find work in my chosen field,” she says.

Gemma has also completed a counselling skills course which will help her to find work, and is to begin training with the family support charity Home Start, so that she can help families who are struggling “just like I was”.

She adds: “I am now more able to spend quality time with my children, where they don’t have to see their mum spiralling - instead they see a strong woman who is fighting to be the best mum she can be.”

Gemma is working within the Stronger Families’ Parent Participation Group, “to help them grow and reach a wider audience to help more people like me. I owe them so much, and I am glad that I can give back some of that help.”

She adds: “My key worker has been absolutely amazing. He was down to earth and able to directly relate to me and understand the issues I was facing.”

Manager Cath Ormerod from Barnardo’s, says: “In Stronger Families we work with families to balance responsibilities around looking after the family home and children, with finding rewarding opportunities for work and training. Our friendly, approachable and interested staff listen, build relationships and build on the strengths and interests of parents looking to get back into work but needing a bit of extra support.”