Nazreen’s Story – “I Felt Like My Voice Was Finally Being Heard”

English is not my first language, so I have had help to write and share my story.*

Caring for My Son

I am a single mother with two young children. My eight-year-old son has severe learning difficulties and needs a lot of support from me.

I love my children and want the best for them, but caring for my son can be very challenging. His behaviour can sometimes be difficult for me to manage and, at the time I came to Walsall Carers Hub, I felt that the care package he had in place was not giving him the support he really needed.

I was trying to cope with everything, but I was becoming increasingly stressed and overwhelmed.

I Didn’t Know How to Make Things Change

I came to a Carers Hub drop-in session in Walsall when things had become particularly difficult. I knew my son needed more appropriate support, but I wasn’t sure how to explain our situation or how to get his care package reviewed.

English is not my first language, and this made an already difficult situation even harder. I knew what I wanted to say about my son and what life was like for us at home, but I worried that I would not be able to explain everything clearly enough to the professionals involved.

I felt frustrated, anxious and unsure of what to do next.

Having Someone Beside Me

Walsall Carers Hub listened to what I was going through and helped me speak with my son’s teacher. A new assessment was being organised, which gave us an opportunity to explain why his existing care package was not meeting his needs.

I was supported to provide information and evidence about the challenges we were experiencing at home. I also received language support during the conversation, which meant I could properly explain my concerns and make sure the teacher understood what my son and our family needed.

For the first time in a while, I didn’t feel as though I had to manage everything by myself.

My Voice Was Heard

Having someone beside me made a huge difference. I could concentrate on explaining what life was really like for us rather than worrying about whether I was using the right words.

I felt like my voice was finally being heard.

As my son’s mother, I know him and his needs better than anyone. Having support to communicate this gave me more confidence to speak up for him and be involved in decisions about his care.

Feeling Less Alone

The support helped reduce the stress and anxiety I had been carrying. Knowing that there was someone I could turn to made me feel less alone and gave me reassurance that I did not have to navigate complicated services without help.

It wasn’t just one conversation that made a difference. The experience helped me understand that I have a voice and that I can advocate for my son.

I still face challenges, but I now feel more confident asking questions, explaining what our family needs and making sure my son’s needs are understood.

For me, having the right support at the right time made an overwhelming situation feel much more manageable.

*Nazreen’s name and photo are fictious as she wished to remain anonymous