Lucy, 14

I first met Lucy in February 09, I had been contacted by Jackie a school nurse who explained that Lucy had been removed from school over a year ago by her parents and had been attending monthly sessions with her as she had been bullied at school and this had a very negative impact on her confidence and self esteem. Lucy struggled to manage her feelings when she felt frustrated and this had led to her relationship with her parents and siblings becoming very strained. Jackie was now looking for additional support in terms of re-engaging Lucy into an educational setting but Lucy had refused to return to school and was reluctant to go anywhere new.

Lucy was initially withdrawn in the meeting I attended with Jackie and was open in her reluctance about being around other young people especially girls who she felt were all against her. Lucy’s interests were art, dance and animals and when speaking about these areas she was able to communicate both well and positively. I made the decision that the best approach would be to engage Lucy one day per week and build up her confidence before trying the access course. Lucy agreed to attend our horse course for one session to see how she felt.

The first session went well and Lucy maintained her attendance weekly for a period of three months and in this time she built up positive relationships with both staff and peers within her group. Lucy completed her access course in May 09, she attended every session and managed to go on residential which was a real step out of her comfort zone and was something she was adamant she wouldn’t be able to do when I initially met her and her exact response when we spoke about it was, “there is no point me coming cos I’m not going to Wales anyway”.

After access Lucy built her days up to two days per week and attended well for both horse course and girls group. Lucy had been waiting for an appointment for an assessment with a child psychologist at the time I met her and again was very negative about attending the meeting, however, through one: one sessions she began to understand that in order for things to improve she needed to be believe that things could get better and be open to trusting that the professionals involved with her wanted to help and support but this would only be beneficial if she was willing to try the strategies been put in place. Lucy is still attending those sessions and co-operating with the doctor and this has led to strengthening her relationship with parents as they feel they are no longer faced with a girl unwilling to try but a girl who wants things to improve.

Lucy is a very bright girl and academically capable of gaining qualifications which she understands are important. Parents felt that school had not being as supportive as they could have been and although they had tried to speak to relevant people within school they were not returning phone calls which again was leading to frustration as it compounded Lucy’s negativity and attitude that no one cared. Jackie and I decided to join forces and arrange a professionals meeting with the school and ESW (education social worker) as although she had been out of school for over a year no referral had been initiated to appropriate agencies and her name was not known within the system.

The outcome of the meeting was positive and school agreed that they needed to be more supportive in terms of finding an appropriate placement for Lucy as she was not going to return. Lucy now attends a specialised school 4 days per week that works on a classroom ratio of one teacher to three students and she is working towards her GCSE’s. Lucy attends Fairbridge one day per week and has just committed to running dance sessions with another female young person to other young people within the centre.

Over the past 9 months this young girl has gone from being isolated and withdrawn to being active and involved. Lucy is now open to new experiences and has a more positive outlook on life. All professionals involved have recognised the part Fairbridge played in Lucy’s development.

Vicky, 18

Hello my name is Vicky, I have just turned 18. Since I was young I have been in and out of care with me living out of suitcase, this resulted in me being unsettled. I have been at Fairbridge for 4 months. Before I came to Fairbridge I did not do a lot, I got myself into a bit of trouble whilst at college.

I did not think very positive about myself. This was due to me not being able to put pen to paper. I never received positive comments about myself from either teachers or family. This made me frustrated and angry in myself making me feel worthless.

When I engaged with Fairbridge I completed my access course which involved me with a variety of activities including canoeing, rock-climbing, cooking sessions and mountain biking. These activities all involved team work, confidence and self-esteem building.

With all the positive feedback and encouragement from staff and other young people it was a bit over-whelming and this is when I knew I was able to achieve anything I want.

I continued with follow on, which varied from art and music to outdoor activities. I climbed to the top of Mount Triffin and engaged in a 2 day canoeing also a lot more.

I have now gained loads of confidence within myself, where I am able to speak openly and clearly about my strengths and weaknesses.

This has enabled me to apply for an apprenticeship within the catering field. With the support from the Fairbridge staff I have been a successful candidate.