A day in the life of a Meningitis Now Community Support Officer

A Day in the Life of...

a Community Support Officer

9am - Bereavement support call I spoke at length with a distressed parent whose toddler sadly died of bacterial meningitis recently. I offered listening support and arranged to visit the family soon. I also sent them an application pack, so they can apply to our Rebuilding Futures Fund for funding towards the funeral costs. I hope this will help alleviate some of their financial worries at this heart-breaking time.

10am - Signposting Over a cup of coffee, I emailed a grandmother who’s experiencing a lot of fatigue following viral meningitis.

I offered her a support phone call, sent her a fact sheet and signposted her to another specialist charity who could also support her.

10:15am - Online support I replied to a post on our Facebook peer support page, offering support to a man who is caring for his wife following her meningitis last year. He feels isolated and is struggling to adjust to his new circumstances and so needs some support himself.

10:30am - Emotional support I offered a listening ear to a tearful mum who’s been suffering debilitating ‘health anxiety’ since her child had meningitis; she worries so much about her child getting ill again that she’s struggling to sleep. We talked about her accessing counselling to help her manage her worry.

helpline@meningitisnow.org

0808 80 10 388

www.meningitisnow.org/

11:45am - Support with funding I spoke on the phone with a young man who needs his mobility scooter adapted so he’s able to use it more independently. This will give him greater freedom. We discussed different funding options, including applying to our Rebuilding Futures Fund.

1pm - Lunch Lovely day, I sat outside on the bench in our beautiful memorial garden at Head Office.

2pm - Writing a support letter I wrote a letter in support of a man’s benefits application – he is appealing against a Personal Independence Payment (PIP) decision, which will mean he’ll receive less money and put him in financial difficulty. He needs a lot of support at this very stressful time.

2:30pm - Referral to a partner I made a cup of tea (important!) and then phoned a regional coordinator at the Child Brain Injury Trust to discuss a referral. We will be working in partnership to support a child who has an acquired brain injury following meningitis and is struggling in school. It’s great to be able to work with other organisations that can offer the specialist support some individuals need.

3pm - Event planning I left the office to visit a potential venue for an upcoming Family Day event. I need to check that the site offers good accessibility, as well as fun activities and yummy food!

5pm - Home time helpline@meningitisnow.org

0808 80 10 388

www.meningitisnow.org/