As an Employment Consultant at Drive Forward, it is my aim to create a holistic and client-led environment in which our young people can find fulfilling opportunities and a stable support network. I am used to supporting young people to source empowering solutions in relation to employment, education, and training. 

Yet since the lockdown, my role seems to have taken a new shape. The decrease in available employment opportunities and the increase in basic needs such as food, shelter, company and positivism have caused me as an Employment Consultant to adapt to the needs of our young people. Whether that be: 

• sourcing out virtual employment opportunities to keep them engaged; 
• chatting over the phone for an hour to lessen the sense of loneliness; 
• assisting them in Universal Credit claim; 
• or helping with further financial assistance. 

Yet, more than anything, it has highlighted for me both the unique strength and inequalities that many of our young people face as care leavers.