Mrs B was referred to CHS’s CLAS champion for help with some furniture for her son’s bedroom.  Mrs B had previously worked with our Money Matters team in relation to benefits.  Her family background was very complex and one of her children had been taken into care.

Social Services would not allow the child to come home until they were happy with the state of the property, and the child’s bedroom.  Mrs B explained that doors at the property had been damaged in the past when her son’s behaviour was bad.  We referred her into the BESOM charity who visited and provided a chest of drawers, repaired a cupboard and bed, fitted curtains and some lampshades.  BESOM reported that the client was doing a good job with decorating the boy’s room and downstairs, and that they would decorate the hall, stairs and landing.  Mrs B was awarded a £100 CLAS Green Voucher for paint and bedside tables to be obtained from Cambridge Re-Use and CHS obtained a £200 grant from Cambridge Central Aid charity to help towards the cost of new doors and carpets, which BESOM would provide.

Social Services has agreed for the son to come home on supervised visits and it is hoped that he will soon be back home for good.  If we can support her child to come home this will be good for the family and will help Social Services avoid needing to pay to keep the child in care.  Mrs B said ‘I am overwhelmed with all the help that everyone has given.  I wouldn’t have been able to start to get the kids back.  It has been life changing’.