Putting the pieces together to support children, young people and their families back in to Educatio

We first met Steve when he was recommended to us by our support worker at South Lakeland Carers in the summer of 2019. Our son then aged 18 was struggling with transition to adulthood. Steve has worked with our son every week since then as a family support worker/key worker so we have known him for 18 months. 

Steve was able to help when it seemed no-one else could. During his time working with our son, he has moved him on substantially. Our son who has high functioning autism/Asperger’s and learning difficulties was in a very bad place mentally, physically and emotionally. A failed college placement had left our son with anxiety issues that meant he would not leave the house and was suffering with mental health issues. With Steve’s help and encouragement, he started to attend 3 days a week education and now attends Right 2 Work one day a week. Steve works with J twice a week giving him support and encouragement to try new things and discuss his problems and solutions. He is helping him with life skills such as shopping and they have done walking, cycling and attended the local gym. 

Steve is an amazing person with a clear passion for helping young people who are having difficulties. He has worked with young people for many years and has a huge commitment to them. He is kind and understanding firm but fair and has a great sense of humour and a positive way of moving them forward. He has patience but always moves them on according to their ability. He sees the potential that our young people have and wants to harness that. 

He is very flexible and will do whatever the young person needs at the time. He shows great empathy with our son but also us as a family.

Steve is a great communicator and regularly keeps us updated and informed which really helps all of us work together to improve our son’s life. 

If your young person is struggling, then I highly recommend giving Steve a chance to help them out as we have watched our son’s confidence increase as we move him towards a more independent life.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you need any further reassurance that Steve is the person for your family.

All the best,

Amy, (parent)

‘Our son had been out of school for 3 years having been bullied and unsupported in school. 

Traumatised by his experiences - he vowed he would never go back.

Steve Whitehouse is the catalyst, who made our son’s return to education possible and enjoyable. 

Bridging the gap between home and school, through trust, friendship and respect ~ our son hasn’t missed a day of school since…..’  

It takes a special kind of person, to see the potential within each individual. To empower them, to never give up, no matter how challenging it may be. 

Clearly, not everyone can do it – but when that person is found, they transform the lives of all the people they meet.

With gratitude for all that you do Steve. 

Best wishes,

Susie (parent)

Steve has a rarely found skill set – he seems to be able to make a meaningful connection with the child. He builds on that by establishing trust and only when that is done , does he move matters forward – without that approach, there is no long lasting solution and for me, this explains why (without wishing to sound too statistical) Steve has such a high success rate. Steve is empathic to each individual situation and progresses things with the child’s concerns foremost – he really makes every effort to get ‘out there’ and reach into the child’s world , literally and figuratively. Put simply, he is very good at what he does…I speak from experience.

T.S.P. 

Steve has been working with our son K since Spring 2019.

He was initially drafted in by Cumbria Education as a result of K's exclusions at Primary School in the Spring Term of 2019.  We, and school, felt that things were no longer working for K and he was not coping with the demands of mainstream school

Steve supported K by taking him out of the classroom twice weekly for one to one sessions locally.  These included visits to a variety of K-friendly locations including local farm, youth club activities, Morecambe entertainment, football training, KFC.

He also took K to three weekly sessions at an identified AP up until the beginning of the May half term and brought him back afterwards.  This ensured that K was in a good place and receptive to the placement.  Steve supported our family by attending the EHCP review and keeping the local education authority in touch with K’s progress.

Steve continued to support K once he had secured a full time placement at an AP and drove him there and back daily.  This ensured that a positive transition was made from his old school to the new AP and that Steve was a point of familiar contact on those journeys to help K make sense of his day.

K expressed that he really enjoyed his time with Steve and we noticed a marked improvement in his behaviour.  Time spent with Steve in a one to one setting helped to reduce K’s anxiety and with the transition to education at the new AP, everyone noticed he was less resistant and oppositional at home and school.

We are really grateful for the support Steve provided this year.  Steve obviously has a lot of experience with children with complex needs.  He is extremely firm but fair and lots of fun.  Steve really understands K whilst helping to support his behaviour and co-operative skills with us at home.  He has offered ongoing support if needs be in the future.

Anna (Parent)

This is to certify that I have known Steven White House over last 2years and have worked together on at least 4-5 young people with complex problems including concerns for excessive use of computer and video games (behaviour addiction), anxiety issues, and autism spectrum conditions.

Mr Whitehouse has been able to help many of our children and young people with complex emotional and behavioural difficulties, who has not been attending school, remaining confined to home and spending most of the time on computer or video gaming. This was greatly impacting their home, school and social life.

He has been able to pursue and encourage these young people to going out, diverting their interest and even working in some garage to earn some pocket money as an incentive. As a Paediatrician I have found his help very timely and helpful, given working with teenagers and adolescents can be challenging to both parents and the professionals.

I consider him a great asset given the limitations we have when faced with the challenges of supporting these young people.

I wish him all the best.

Consultant Community Paediatrician

NCIC, Barrow in Furness, Cumbria

North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust

www.ncic.nhs.uk

My son and myself were referred to Jigsaw family support after many months of my son having trouble with schooling. My son regularly wouldn’t attend school. Then finally if he did attend he would then return home within an hour. This made things very difficult as time went on it became more difficult to get my son out of the house for any reason. I was concerned with loosing my job and how I would manage to keep the house and provide for my son if this did happen. My son had been excluded from school and ended up in a pru unit. Firstly I must mention my son had a tragic start in his younger years and was subject to things a little person should never have to see. Gradually over time my son lost confidence in people as he would build relationships and trust then be moved somewhere else. Professionally my son would speak to someone about his struggles and then they would have to leave to better their career or family maternity reasons. 

When we were referred to Jigsaw I was extremely nervous about my sons mental health and future. I was concerned for what the future may hold. 

I was told an ex army soldier would come in the morning and my son would then attend. I was worried but we needed help desperately. When we meet the founder of Jigsaw I was shocked how approachable and calm he was. He builds a relationship with my son and won over my sons trust which was a huge achievement. He would listen to my son and myself and I could see my sons confidence coming back. My son would then look forward to the time with the founder and thinks very fondly of him. The founder seems to be so aware of how my son was feeling. 

There would be struggles with my son and advice and understanding was always given voluntary. I would often get phone calls asking how my son has been over the weekend or how his day at school was. I could call the founder of Jigsaw when I was struggling and be given advice and support. I was given great strategies’ that actually worked. My son had spoken how the school he was in, he wasn’t happy and a more suitable school was mentioned and suggested. The founder would support my son to school and also showed him new school and information about them schools. 

He helped my son tremendously mentally and always was patient and listened. When it became time for my son to move schools he was always supported beforehand mentally and physically supported on the day by the founder of Jigsaw. I also received this same support. The founder would attend our home sometimes for hours, supporting my son mentally. 

Supporting for meetings at school or regarding school or mental health appointments. The founder would also support my son on visit days to the new school and settled my son into the school by taking him there every day till he felt confident. My son only trusted the founder so depending on him hugely. Over time my son has learned he could trust this person and never got let down, he always kept his word and that meant a lot to my son.  Now my son is letting other professional in and making huge progress.  

I am very thankful for the help and support we received through Jigsaw It has been life changing. 

A. Parent