career

From Care to Career – Shabnam & Wunderman Thompson

“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.”

Drive Forward with Mentoring. The benefits of building trusted relationships

Introduced in 2015, our mentoring scheme has since developed into a comprehensive programme encompassing bespoke training for professional mentors, continuous support for both mentors and mentees, and additional professional development opportunities for care-experienced young people. What began as a small pilot with only a handful of participants, is now an integral part of the Drive Forward approach to enable care-experienced youth in London to achieve their full potential through sustainable and fulfilling employment.

We asked one of our very first participants, Sally, about the benefits that she has experienced from building and maintaining a trusted and consistent mentoring relationship.

Modupe’s Story. Joining the Civil Service

Thinking back to your early 20s, did you know what you wanted to do with your life? For young people coming out of care, the years between their 18th and 25th birthday are pivotal. Before their local authority closes their case forever, these young people have to make sure that they are financially, emotionally, and practically stable. That means having a secure place to live, sufficient income, and a support network. However, actually making those decisions that will impact one’s life in the long-term is not an easy task.

I’ve transformed my life through a job that I love

A year ago, I could not have imagined I’d be in a well-paid full-time job that I really enjoy. Back then it felt like I had no control over my life because I missed out on my education. I’m a Londoner, but for two years I ended up as a total stranger in Manchester at a school for people with emotional and behavioural difficulties. The teachers thought I should be doing GCSEs but the school didn’t have anything on offer.

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