Jacob is a young man who has experienced severe anxiety and emotionally-based school avoidance. So much so that by the time Jacob was 16 years old, he had not attended school for over two years, and hadn’t left his bedroom in six months.
Jacob’s twin brother had been diagnosed with special educational needs (SEN) and was able to access statutory support via an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). However, Jacob had no formal diagnosis, so he was unable to access the same support despite experiencing similar challenges. This lack of recognition and provision had left Jacob isolated, overwhelmed by sensory input, and disengaged from both education and the outside world.
Jacob’s family were desperate for help but had struggled to get professionals to even meet with him, let alone offer meaningful support. From their perspective, referrals were being declined, waiting times were too long, and there was minimal feedback or clarity about next steps.
Without help, Jacob faced continued isolation and extremely poor social and educational outcomes.
What happened?
One-Eighty stepped in with a highly personalised and flexible programme of one-to-one support that took place over 16 weeks. The intervention focused on building trust with Jacob initially, before progressing to emotional literacy and self-regulation.
Sessions were designed to be low-pressure and engaging, using games, humour, and Jacob’s interests to gently encourage interaction. Five weeks into the programme, Jacob was supported to leave the house for the first time in months. Through modelling coping strategies and helping Jacob to understand and manage his anxiety, One Eighty staff were able to support him to leave the house in their company. Jacob was then able to build on this by going to the cinema with the family, attending an open day at an alternative provision, and walking to local shops and to the park. Jacob even enrolled in a gym and started to use public transport independently, as well as attending the gym by himself.
One Eighty involved Jacob’s parents in the intervention and helped them to learn tools based in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). This meant that they were better equipped to support Jacob during moments of difficulty.
Crucially, the progress made enabled Jacob to successfully apply for an EHCP. The One Eighty staff supporting Jacob developed a clear, structured overview of his progress, strengths, and the support he needed to help him access education successfully. This level of detail had previously been difficult to evidence as Jacob had struggled to engage with assessments in the past. One Eighty’s overview proved highly beneficial in strengthening Jacob’s EHCP application and was a key factor in enabling the plan to be approved.
Once the EHCP was approved, Jacob was able to access an alternative provision tailored to his needs, including a therapeutic farm-based education setting.
Over time, Jacob began to express his thoughts and feelings more clearly and had conversations about his future. He also started to develop trusting relationships with the professionals in his life. This was an incredibly positive development and represented a level of consistency and connection that had previously seemed impossible for Jacob.
What was the outcome?
A year on, the transformation has been remarkable.
Jacob is now attending college, he has made a group of friends, and recently attended a Halloween party— demonstrating his growing connection to peers and confidence in social settings.
He has also developed a toolkit of emotional regulation strategies and is able to communicate his needs using both verbal and non-verbal methods.
In Jacob’s own voice, “I have learnt how to cope with how I feel in difficult moments when feeling anxious” and “I have learnt what I can do for myself when faced with challenges to help me get through them more independently.”
His parents, reflecting on his journey, told us that his wellbeing was at zero before he was referred to One-Eighty, and now they rate it as a six out of ten. His dad added, “You achieved more in eight weeks than everyone else did in two years.”
One-Eighty’s holistic and compassionate approach helped Jacob feel seen, valued, and capable of building a future on his own terms.