Trusted Adults in Action: How Drive Forward Supports Care-Experienced Young People into Sustainable Employment 

The Government’s new National Youth Strategy rightly recognises what young people have been telling us for years: trusted adults change lives. 

At Drive Forward Foundation, this isn’t just a policy principle, it’s the foundation of our work. Some of the young people we work with have maintained relationships with staff or mentors for over five years, and in a few cases, even ten years. These relationships can help a young person navigate early adulthood, focussing on building a career but inevitably encompassing much more. 

For care-experienced young people in particular, trusted adults are not a ‘nice to have’. They are essential. 

Why trusted adults matter for routes into work 

For many young people facing disadvantage, the journey into employment is shaped by uncertainty: disrupted education, limited networks, financial pressure and a lack of people who can offer reliable guidance. Trusted adults help bridge that gap. 

There is no common definition of a trusted adult, but they usually feature the following key elements; they provide stability in systems that can feel fragmented and overwhelming. They listen, advocate, and help young people recognise their own strengths. They are present over an extended period, offering encouragement through setbacks and celebrating progress over time. 

When it comes to employment, trusted adults play a vital role in helping young people: 

• Build confidence and self-belief 
• Navigate education, training and employment systems 
• Prepare for interviews and workplace expectations 
• Manage challenges once in work 
• Develop long-term goals and progression plans 

Care-experienced young people and the need for consistent support 

Care-experienced young people face some of the greatest barriers to employment. They are more likely to experience disrupted schooling, mental health challenges, housing instability and a lack of professional role models and networks. They are expected to become independent earlier than their peers, without being equipped with the skills, tools and knowledge to thrive. 

At Drive Forward Foundation, we work alongside care-experienced young people because we know the issue is not a lack of talent or ambition, it is a lack of access to realistic opportunities and barriers to participation that result in disproportionately worse life outcomes. Trusted adults help rebuild confidence and trust in both people and systems. For care-experienced young people, this can be the turning point and foundation for life-changing experiences in the workplace. 

Youth Futures Foundation, the What Works Centre for Youth Employment, recently published a report (The Missing Link), exploring the role of trusted adult relationships in tackling the youth unemployment and inactivity challenge. Drive Forward was a featured case-study, highlighting our support as an example of best-practice in this field. With nearly 1 million young people not in education, employment or training (NEET), and care-experienced young people three times more likely to be NEET than their peers, this work has never been timelier. 

Trusted adults embedded in Drive Forward’s service 

70% of Drive Forward’s employment outcomes are sustained beyond 13-weeks and we believe the role of trusted relationships during those early months in employment are essential to achieving such a high success rate. Our model is designed to create the conditions where trusted relationships can develop and grow over time. This includes: 

• 1-2-1 Career Support 
• Professional Mentoring 
• Counselling and Emotional Wellbeing Support 
• Community Events and Advocacy Programmes 
• Co-Location with Care Leaver Hubs 

Turning commitment into impact 

We welcome the Government’s commitment to expanding access to trusted adults, as set out in the new National Youth Strategy, which was published last week. But to genuinely reduce the youth NEET rate, particularly for care experienced young people, these roles must be long-term, well-resourced and available in every local authority across the country. 

Drive Forward’s approach shows what’s possible when trusted adults are central to employment support, not added on as an afterthought. When young people are backed by stable relationships and tailored support, they are far more likely to move into work, stay there and progress. 

No young person should have to face the journey into employment alone. By investing in trusted adults, and in services that prioritise relationships, we can unlock potential, build sustainable careers and level the playing field for marginalised young people.