The Care Experienced Voice
In all areas we provide opportunity for care experienced people to get involved in influencing and shaping provision (including our own) for care leavers locally and nationally. We achieve this through:
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Young Advisor's Panel – meets quarterly (sometimes more often if there are pieces of work that require a more urgent response) to discuss current services, opportunities and feedback on particular issues relevant at that time. We also feed into local and national reviews, research and pieces of work relevant to care leavers. We offer opportunities for senior leaders and commissioners to consult with the panel around designing and commissioning services for care leavers. Membership is fluid and focussed around young ‘s specific interest in particular issues or pieces of work
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Reference Groups – we form reference groups around specific issues such as being a care experienced parent and emotional wellbeing – we feed into learning circles, strategic meetings and local authority senior leadership to ensure issues important to young people are highlighted and prioritised​
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Young Interviewer's – we involve care experienced young people in interviewing all new team members and new volunteers through a structured Young Interviewers Panel
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Training Opportunities – we involve care experienced young people in training Pure Insight volunteers and other professionals such as PAs, social workers, student social workers, health visitors, midwives. We also provide training to other organisations seeking to have a better understanding of how to best support care experienced young people including employers wishing to capitalise on the skills and talents care experienced young people can offer
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National Networks – we feed the care experienced voice into national forums such as the National Care Leavers Benchmarking forum, GM Care Leavers Trust, The Care Leavers Covenant, The Care Leavers Association, Our Voice, Our Say, The All Party Parliamentary Group for Looked after Children and Care Leavers, The National Implementation Advisor for Care Leavers
Mentoring
Do you need a bit of support with an area of your life that is troubling you or holding you back? Mentors are people from your community who have time and skills to help you focus on an area of your life you would like to change or develop. Mentors typically volunteer 2-3 hours a week to support you over a minimum of 2 years. It might be your housing or finances you need some support with, or figuring out what you want to do next in your life and how you are going to go about this in a step by step approach. Or it could be you are struggling with an issue that is really holding you back such as getting in trouble with the police, struggling with mental health or use of substances. Mentors are there just for you – to focus on whatever YOU feel is important to YOU. They complete a 10 week training programme with the Pure Insight Team and have to complete a DBS check and have good references to become a mentor – so you will be in safe hands. Many of our mentoring relationships turn into long term friendships with young people and volunteers talking about the benefits it has brought to both their lives.
Psychological Wellbeing Services
Are you struggling with your mental health or managing your emotions? When we have been through tough events in life it can leave scars on us that need time, patience and support to heal. Our Psychological wellbeing workers will support you on a weekly basis in your own home or out in the community to learn skills in how to manage your mental health and emotions. They can also help you to access your GP, understand your life story and any diagnosis or labels you may have We will work with you to determine how long you may need support for and you can dip in and out of this service as you need to – its led by you!
Counselling
Our counsellors are highly trained in working with people who have experienced trauma and or other mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. They will offer you a weekly slot to meet up and talk either face to face or over the telephone to help you work through difficult feelings or situations in your life. They can meet you a few times for a coffee or walk first if you feel this would make this more comfortable for you. We understand it’s a big step and it’s nice to meet somebody a few times first to get to know them.
