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care leavers

Press Release: New practical guide for lawyers to help reduce the over-criminalisation of care experienced children and young adults

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Over the last couple of years, the Drive Forward’s Care Experienced Policy Forum has been working with youth justice experts to create a new guide for lawyers to use when representing care experienced young people. The guide has been completed in collaboration with the Transition to Adulthood Alliance, Child Rights & Youth Justice, Garden Court Chambers and the Youth Justice Legal Centre.

From Care to Career – Shabnam & Wunderman Thompson

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“I was in Care due to family problems and was taken into care by my local authority. Everyone’s experience of being in care is so different – if I could summarise it to you in one sentence it’s sometimes a safe haven for some young people who go into a home and share the space with a loving caring family or it can be the most traumatic experience having to share a house with 12 to 20 or sometimes even more young people who are going through their hardest stage of life – where pain, anger, lost, abandonment feelings are visibly everywhere. Every care experienced young persons experience is different therefore it’s hard to describe what’s it like being in care.”

Power To Live: taking care-experienced mental health seriously

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The collaboration between Drive Forward and Power to Live Foundations has made a positive impact on the lives of care-experienced youth. With shared values and a focus on mental health, over 20 young individuals have received behavioral psychotherapy sessions. Power to Live emphasizes behavioral change, helping clients detach from negative thoughts and move towards a value-driven life. Trust and therapeutic relationships are key, especially when working with youth who have experienced attachment trauma. Despite the challenges, the experience is immensely rewarding, as therapists witness the courage and resilience of their clients. This collaboration has not only helped the youth, but also allowed therapists to grow and connect on a deep level.

Above & Beyond 2022 Winners!

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We set up our annual awards back in 2019 to celebrate the impact and acknowledge the effort our partners and mentors have made during the year in offering invaluable support, and fulfilling and sustainable employment to care-experienced young people across London.

For our 4th Partner Appreciation event, it was a tough decision when it came to deciding on a single winner.

So, we didn’t.

#PartnerAppreciation

Mentoring, it’s more than just Volunteering

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Drive Forward’s Mentoring Programme has enabled countless care-experienced young people to sustain their employment, progress in their careers, and find success for themselves since 2016. We’ve seen that engaging in a professional mentoring relationship is often crucial to a young person (mentee) who wants to take charge of their professional as well as personal development.

For #NationalMentoringDay, we’re sharing Nahom’s journey with his mentor Joe Welton, Account Manager at Amazon Web Services.

The Key to Change: Work Placements

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Care-experienced young people are one of the most vulnerable and overlooked groups in our society. Research has shown that educational attainment, levels of health and well-being and employment prospects are all significantly lower, whilst instances of homelessness or poor mental health are much higher. Despite youth unemployment rates having reduced, there is still an estimated 40% of young care-experienced people who are not in employment, education, or training.

Together with our partners, we are trying to change that by providing ring-fenced employment opportunities to enable these young people to move from care into a career of their own choice.

The Holistic Approach to Care

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The Independent Review of Children’s Social Care report stated 5 missions. 1 of which was that “no young person should leave care without at least two loving relationships by 2027.”

Read how at Drive Forward, we focus on holistic care of our care-experienced young people offering everything from employment support, early intervention, and professional mentoring to counselling.

Between our staff, partners, mentors and supporters, we have always ensured stable and loving relationships surround our young people to enable them to thrive.

Boosting Careers: Latifah & the Civil Service Internship

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“When I met Latifah, she was completing her degree whilst raising her daughter. Although her passion was and has always been theatre and performance, she was excited to hear about the Civil Service. Latifah told me how it was important for her as a care leaver to be represented in government and have access to these competitive opportunities that are difficult to get through mainstream recruitment.” – Heaven Teshome, Latifah’s Careers Manager

Choosing the career for you

The Civil Service Care Leaver Internship Scheme

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The Civil Service Care Leaver Internship Scheme provides ring-fenced 12-month paid employment opportunities for care leavers aged 18-30 across the country. With no formal qualifications required, the scheme is a prime example of potential-based recruitment.

This extraordinary initiative has achieved great success with a simple model based around support.

Read more on the Civil Service and be inspired to create your own ring-fenced opportunity with the help of our team!

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.

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