This blog is part of TheSprout’s Supporting Young Cardiffians campaign. It tells the story of 13-year-old Sienna, who got support from the Family Help Team, part of Cardiff Family Advice and Support service.
Why did you contact the Cardiff Family Gateway?
Sienna shared that she was “struggling at school and my parents just split up. I was being bullied and the school wasn’t doing anything to help. The bullying was verbal and I don’t know why I was targeted. I was scared and anxious before.”
Before getting support, Sienna’s mum contacted the Cardiff Family Gateway to see what help was available. Sienna said “I heard about CFAS because my mum called. You rang us and spoke to me, my mum and sister on the phone.”
What support did you receive?
The CFAS team “spoke to me about how they were just a phone call away and they were very supportive. They spoke to me on 3 occasions and we talked about school and the bullying going on there and my relationship with my dad”.
CFAS then “signposted my mum to services including Snap Cymru” and “they also said they would call the school.”
How has the support provided by CFAS helped you and your family?
Sienna said “I think that it has helped my family as it was really tense as we didn’t know what to do with everything that was going on such as all the anxiety and stuff. We called CFAS and it got better. I learnt about all the support that they could give us”.
What advice would you give to a young person going through similar challenges?
After her experience with CFAS, Sienna had a piece of advice. “It’s always best to talk about the pain of everything you are going through. I’d recommend the Family Help service.”
Related Information
This is a true story from a young person who accessed help from Cardiff Family Advice and Support service. To respect the privacy of the young people who shared their stories with us, we have changed their names to keep them anonymous. To read more stories about how CFAS has helped young people and their families, click here.
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To get in touch with CFAS for free call 03000 133 133 or email ContactFAS@cardiff.gov.uk.