Neil's story

Neil had previously worked in a small, local business that had gone into liquidation and closed. Around the same time, he lost a close friend. These things together had a big impact on his mental health and wellbeing. Neil was admitted to hospital and had been treated on different psychiatric wards before coming to Lancashire Mind through the Changing Futures project.

Neil's first appointment was held in a coffee shop in his local community. He wanted the meeting to be informal and a chance for him to talk about his goals. Neil asked for support with:

• accessing talking therapies
• creating a new CV and boosting his confidence in job searching
• his finances and how he could best move forward in his current situation
• looking at options for mental health training courses

Neil was referred for high intensity CBT that he could access whilst also working with his Changing Futures Coach. With the Coach, he worked on developing a new CV, set up accounts for job searching websites and created a budget for each month to keep control of his finances.

After six months of working with the Coach, Neil was feeling ready to start a course at his local college. His Coach went with him to look around the campus and meet tutors. By the time Neil started his course in September, he felt that he no longer needed to additional support form his Coach.

"Once I was lost, but then I was found. One phone call put me in touch with Lancashire Mind and the doors opened, the support has been tremendous! I have grown, improved how I feel. I can go forward confidently."