For vulnerable teenagers who have spent years in care, making the transition to standing on their own two feet by living and working in the community can be extremely difficult.
To address this problem, Kibble, the Paisley-based social enterprise, set up a new initiative two years ago called KibbleWorks which provides careers for care leavers to try to guide them into employment and/or training.
Youngsters coming out of care in the 16-18-year age group have a 59% of becoming NEET — not in education, employment or training. And they are also at the highest risk of committing crimes.
According to Lesley Fuller, the funding, marketing and communications manager at Kibble Education and Care Centre, young people whom Kibble have helped - for example through residential or day care services or fostering placements - have often made good progress, including educationally. But on returning home or into their old communities they found it very difficult to find employment or training.
KibbleWorks - the organisation’s enterprise and employment arm - gives the young people real jobs and training through a range of 12 social businesses, including joinery and metalwork workshops, car maintenance and valeting, catering, landscaping, music production, internet and podcasting services, and picture framing.
The young people are effectively given apprenticeships in traditional skills such as woodwork and mechanics, but also in cutting edge enterprises such as multimedia. And a crucial element is that they also learn the ‘soft skills’ that are often missing from their lives such as punctuality, time management and the ability to effectively communicate.
The majority of the young people are still in the care of local authorities are placed in KibbleWorks by councils and they receive a wage while taking part. There is no limit on the length of placements and the majority of those currently participating have been in day or residential care with Kibble, so they can maintain the link with the organisation while they are making the transition into the world of work. The largest enterprise — The KibbleWorks Warehouse is run in partnership with Green-Works, which recycles high quality used office furniture from large corporate or commercial clients.
“Some of these young people are in third generation workless households where the work ethic is quite alien to them,” said Fuller. “The fact that we have a cluster of businesses here and the businesses support each other is extremely helpful.”
“It is the fact that we are able to offer such a wide choice of activities within a supported environment that is so beneficial. And we are offering them real training and real jobs.”
The charity, which was named Scottish Business in the Community Social Enterprise of the Year 2006, says the programme has already resulted in some young people obtaining full-time jobs.
Alan Hunter, 17, a trainee with the organisation’s catering service, Knibbles, had been in and out of foster care for most of his life, and by the time he was 12 he had his first placement in residential care.
He said: “I’ve always wanted to work in a kitchen and knew this was a brilliant opportunity.”
The placement has allowed him to learn essential kitchen skills such as basic food preparation, the use of knives and cleaning whilst being continually assessed. It has also offered him the chance to earn some cash, attend college and gain crucial qualifications, allowing him to take more control over his own life.
“Most days I help prepare lunches for the staff at KibbleWorks,” he said. “I order the food in, make different salads, prepare hot meals, look after the buffet and generally help out in the running of the kitchen. Each week I come up with healthy living menu ideas to try out. I like cooking traditional dishes — steak and cottage pies are my favourites. I’ve also been in involved setting up Knibbles which provides buffet lunches to local businesses”.
Kibble is also the first care organisation in Scotland to offer the AdvocacyWorks programme, which is based on a long-established programme from the United States to help at-risk youngsters within their own communities.
The Youth Advocate Programme (YAP) was set up in the US more than 30 years ago and now operates 125 programmes in 13 states. Kibble began offering AdvocacyWorks, which is based on YAP, last October as a preventative measure. So far a team of eight youth advocates have been trained to work with young people who are at risk — which could be because they are in care or have been referred by the social work department to the Children’s Panel system.
The advocates, some of whom will be known to the young people and may have been raised in their own communities, will meet the teenagers and their families, often at weekends or evenings, and try to build on the positive things that are happening in their lives.
Social workers looking at options for dealing with youngsters who are in trouble and may be considering residential care, can now consider using the AdvocacyWorks programme. So far, two youngsters have been placed on the scheme.
“It is the one to one support, and the fact that it is someone in their own community that can reduce the need for residential care or more intensive work,” said Fuller.
The programme is used in some parts of London and in Ireland, but Kibble is the first Scottish organisation to use it, added Fuller.