Some stories of young people working with us read like a list of high level goals, giving you the satisfying, warm and tingling feeling of checking off the boxes as you go along. Walid’s is such a story, taking you on a journey from seemingly unsurmountable challenges to eventual success.
Before I went into care, I constantly had arguments with my parents; to the point that I became homeless for nine months. A lot has happened after that, but eventually I was really lucky to find myself living with a loving foster family who have taken on the roles of a great parent for me.
When Akira met Heaven, an Employment Consultant at Drive Forward Foundation, at a career’s fare earlier this year, the 22-year old had recently lost her foster mum, quit university and was struggling to get back on track. Akira is the oldest of four siblings and went into care at the age of nine. She came …
Travon was being abused at home from the age of 7, and it was only after he ran away and became homeless aged 16 that he was placed into foster care. “Living at home with my Dad was like living in a prison – he was very physically and verbally abusive and he controlled everything …
“You know it’s life if your plans just change like that, whether it’s drastically and abruptly, or over a long period of time.” Gabriel recently went through a dark patch in his life. His daily routine became repetitive; eating, sleeping, stuck in his room, day-in-day-out. His depression stemmed from having something he loved, something he had dedicated his life to, suddenly taken away.
“When the landlord didn’t want you there anymore, you had to move. We would go to another place temporarily for a few months and then have to move again. It was always like that.” Like 25% of looked after children, Pedro has never been fostered, but was placed into residential care as a teenager.
“My experience of the Assessment Day with a company like Premier Inn was really good. Even though it was only for a couple of hours, I met many great people. I met with managers and they told me what the company is and what it expects from candidates. By them telling me what they expected, …
Allan: a story of motivation, perseverance & success Read More »
Mark Riddell MBE, Department for Education’s National Implementation Advisor for care leavers The Department for Work and Pensions has been focusing on care leavers as part of its See Potential campaign. The campaign encourages employers to recognise the benefits of recruiting people from all kinds of backgrounds. I was in a care home …
Why employers should See Potential in care leavers Read More »
I had this dream ever since I was 12 years old that by the time I retire, I want to move to Hawaii and build my own house. Yes, I’m going to build my house in Hawaii!
When Sephora, aged 22, first stepped through the Drive Forward doors in the summer of 2017, her first thoughts were “will they really be able to help me with what I am looking for?” Young people leaving the care system are referred from one service to the next and not all are able to help …
We’re here to make a difference in the lives of young care leavers. Wherever they’re coming from, we’re on a mission to help open doors and give them the skills, confidence and inspiration to make some momentum and realise their full potential.
