SWINDON Borough Council’s Family Group team has held more than 120 conferences over the year to support vulnerable people around the town.

Families are referred to the service by professionals working in the community.

One client, single mum-of-four Melanie said: “After giving birth to my youngest, I really struggled with my mental health, and felt overwhelmed a lot of the time.

“My health visitor was worried about me so she got in touch with the council. They spoke with my family and friends and invited us all to a meeting to talk about what they could do to support me.

“I was so nervous before, but the woman who organised the group spoke to me about how we could get the most out of the meeting. She spoke to my children to help them express their feelings and worries.

“We talked about my worries and my kids’ feelings. We put a plan in place so I knew who to call when I needed help.

“It sounds like a simple idea but it completely changed my life and made it so much easier to deal with everything going on around me. The most important thing for me is my children seem so much happier after the meeting. They can tell I’m less stressed and get to see our family and friends more. I’m so grateful to the service for their support.”