Meet Child and Youth Care Worker, Kerryanne who completed a Master’s degree in Child Protection, while working, funded by Kibble.
Kerryanne joined Kibble 15 years ago when she was only 22 with a mission to keep young people safe. Currently, she is based within our community services, supporting care-experienced young people thrive and move towards independent living, helping prepare them for handling the responsibilities that come with maintaining a home.
As soon as Kerryanne began at Kibble as a sessional Child and Youth Care Worker, acting as a helping hand during weekends and evenings, her enthusiasm to contribute to giving young people a chance at life was clear. She demonstrated kindness, compassion and dedication, which led her to gain a HNC in Social Services and pursue the further learning opportunities Kibble offered, expanding her knowledge on Social Pedagogy, child protection and child development.
By increasing overall knowledge, Kerryanne has developed a greater understanding, which she can discuss with colleagues and share deeper reasoning for the behaviours and needs of young people. Ultimately, Kibble focuses on building relationships with young people and by undertaking further study, we increase learning and comprehension, letting us relate and respond to young people in the right way, at the right time.
Kerryanne shared, “I am determined to do my best in every aspect in my life and I want to change kids lives – whether it is in my role at Kibble or being a scout leader in my own time.
“I am energetic and confident and with Kibble’s emotional and financial support, I have been able to soak up training opportunities. I have learned how to evolve and adapt to help young people in the most effective way possible.”
Kerryanne is a mum herself and has strived to created a work-life balance, managing working at Kibble and her love for young people in her care as well as studying and devoting quality time to her own family. She credits Kibble for being extremely supportive, investing in her professional development and offering flexible working. In return, she has focused on providing the highest standard of care and protection possible. Moving forward, Kerryanne plans to continue to support young people, bringing them a sense of safety, creating fun experiences for them. Overall, helping young people move forwards with their lives and find happiness.
Our hope is that Kerryanne’s career journey answers your question of ‘Why work for Kibble?’ If you have ambition and motivation to give young people a chance at life, join us and start building your own fulfilling career.
At Kibble, the highest accolade we could ever receive is a young person’s happiness and their family’s appreciation.
A parent of a young person who spent time at Forest View’s Ness house for Primary Years, shared their appreciation through a heartfelt letter.
“Thank you all so much for the amount of care and support given during this past year at Ness House. You provided the right environment for my son to learn how to work through big, overwhelming emotions. We as a family will be forever grateful for your dedication. There is no doubt he will miss you all and the support and friendships that were made.
“Kibble and Ness have been a huge part of our lives and now it is time for a fresh start, although we will never forget about Ness.”
The young person was surrounded by adults who loved, cared and encouraged them during a time when the family needed a helping hand. The family’s gratefulness is testament to the dedicated team members who go above and beyond to provide the best care possible and follow Kibble’s own therapeutic, trauma-informed practice to work alongside young people and their families.
Forest View and Arran Villa have arranged fantastic trips with the young adventurers picking Blackpool, Blair Drummond Safari Park and the Circus. Children also confidently chose to attend summer camps.
Everyone excitedly counted down to their holiday to Blackpool and even traffic delays on the journey down South couldn’t affect the smiles, laughter and chat about the fun activities planned. Throughout the holiday, young people and adults alike had a blast!
As well as an overnight stay at Blackpool, lots of days out were organised to keep us all entertained. Three of our children’s residential houses for those aged from five-years-old came together for a trip to Blair Drummond and the Circus. Everyone enjoyed seeing their friends from Kibble or school. There were opportunities to make new friends with those from the same local area who had come to the event on the same day. The adults proudly watched the kids’ joyful faces as they created friendships with fellow young people around them.
The six-weeks were filled with summer camps too as each child has their own hobby and were keen to continue their interest while schools finished for a break. Great memories were made at camps for football, dance and drama. The kids grew in confidence after dedicating time to their favourite activity. Their enthusiasm for practicing and carrying out new skills and techniques is reflective of how much they’ve grown, their own increased understanding of who they are as a person and their courage in trying new experiences.
On Monday 28th August, a team of 19 enthusiastic golfers from across Kibble donned their best polo-shirts to take part in an annual staff wellbeing event.
With their professional sights on Pebble Beach, California, the team settled for Paisley, with Elderslie Golf Course being the destination of choice. There were five teams, with tee times staggered throughout the morning. As the breakfast rolls were cooking, competition was reaching fever pitch with votes on who was going to make the cut, and who would be picking up the wooden spoon – we’ll not mention any names!
Despite the mix of levels and experience, it was a fantastic and memorable day. Whether someone made a successful drive, or in a few cases, a monumental divot, spirits were high. Even the weather was kind, meaning a few could work on their golfer’s tans while they tallied their scorecard.
After a successful day on the greens, it was time to head to the 19th for a hearty dinner and prize giving. In a controversial turn of events, there was a tie for first place between Mark Barrowman and Gary Morton which caused much debate as to who had the better average! In the end, the rule book was followed with Mark taking the lead based on his previous handicap. It wasn’t a triumph for all of the golfers however, with one (who shall remain nameless) gaining a prize for last place – a children’s golf set to start practicing from scratch.
Regardless of whether the golfer’s performance was prolific or slightly under ‘par’, it was a day of good company, a bit of healthy competition and lots of laughs – all in the name of staff wellbeing. We’re planning a series of wellbeing events throughout the year, with staff leading the way on a range of activities from afternoon teas, football matches and spa days. Thanks to the organisation of Graeme Mathieson, the golf day is set to be an annual event so watch this space on who makes next year’s cut!
Posted: September 26, 2023
Read Kibble’s latest Annual Review, which reflects on the milestones of the previous year. Kibble has evolved and grown at pace while remaining true to the core values of Respect, Ambition and Belonging. All actions have endeavoured to meet the needs of children and young people who have experienced trauma.
The Annual Review title of ‘We are Kibble’ was a phrase originally used by young people. The name was fitting as all of Kibble’s decisions, actions and progress of the past year had children, young people and their families at the centre. It is their world we continually strive to improve, and great responsibility is taken in our aim to give young people a chance at life.
Kibble’s Chair of the Board, David Nairn, alongside Kibble Chief Executive, James Gillespie, opened the Annual Review with a warm welcome, encouraging readers to learn more about the organisation. Together they offered insight behind the motivation to drive forward pioneering therapeutic, trauma-informed services. Their commitment follows three strategic priorities: to help more young people, improve existing operations and introduce new services. Throughout 2022, progression concentrated on maintaining the highest standard of care for young people and their families; the establishment of new valuable mental health provisions; and an overall focus on staff development and wellbeing.
‘We Are Kibble’ is divided into three categories: Respect, Ambition and Belonging, emphasising that our values are carefully considered in every action taken.
Kibble understands the importance of mental health support for all and as a result, introduced new services to respectfully provide help to families within the wider community. The developments had the potential to positively impact mental wellbeing.
Initiatives outlined within the Respect chapter include: the psychological interventions available for young people and families who are in need of specialised help through national services, IVY and SAFE; how the Promise is being incorporated into our ways of working; and the expansion of our own Puddle Lane Early Learning and Childcare Centre to provide a quality and affordable nursery provision to more staff and an increased number of families from the local area.
Ambition
Kibble’s ambitious nature has led to the opening of new services and project developments within existing services. Our vast experience and resources mean we are best placed to deliver specialised support.
Throughout the community, Forest View residential houses and therapeutic primary school in Lochwinnoch have since expanded to include stables, cosy cabins and more classrooms.
A new children’s residential houses in Inverkip will welcome up to four young people.
Furthermore, there has been investment into the creation of increased dedicated office and meeting space with the opening of Abbeyfield Community Hub in Paisley.
Within our Paisley campus, new children’s residential houses are underway and significant refurbishments have been completed across multiple services.
The aspirations of young people are a testament to the driven staff team who surround them and encourage young people to believe in themselves. In return for the workforce going above and beyond for young people, Kibble aim to provide the resources needed for staff to meet their own personal and professional goals. Kibble introduced the new leadership role of Senior Practitioner for experienced care staff to advance internally. Additionally, there are ample further study opportunities.
Forest View introduces cosy cabins and horse stables
Forest View Primary School expansion builds more classrooms
Our new Abbeyfield Community Hub provides office and meeting space
Belonging
Our commitment to making the world a better place for children to grow up has created an inclusive culture at Kibble. We make others feel welcomed and loved and spend time together creating fun moments. Throughout 2022, we have made happy memories while also being there for one another when big emotions surface. We have set sail with Ocean Youth Trust, gone all out for Halloween and celebrated Christmas.
YDance Workshop
Sailing with Ocean Youth Trust
Halloween
Thank You
Young people of Kibble have motivated the adults around them with their laughs, smiles and stories. It is their optimism and drive to move forwards that inspires us to provide the care, love and support they need to be the very best version of themselves. Thank you to young people for trusting us in caring for you.
We are grateful to our partners, funders and the external organisations who work with us. Thank you for joining us our mission to ‘transform lives, families and communities’. Together we can make a bigger difference than we ever could working in silo.
Posted: September 19, 2023
Within our children’s residential houses for those aged from 5-12-years-old there is great outdoor space for kids to spend time outside.
This summer, children have made fantastic memories exploring, whether it has been visiting the beach, climbing the timber playpark, building a den in the forest, or running around the Astro-Turf garden. A sign of increased confidence amongst children who come to Kibble, is their willingness to affirm how they personally want to spend their time. The adults who children are surrounded by dedicate themselves to building trusting relationships, the grown-ups take the time to find out preferred hobbies and activities and encourage children to be open-minded to new experiences.
The Magic of Dens and Forts
One young person’s favourite summer hobby was den-building. Each day a new piece was added to the structure as the young builder took pride in the project. Nature had the power to evoke a sense of calm and tranquillity on this young person and by assembling their own growing den, their self-confidence increased in size too.
Adventure Climbing
Upon arriving at Forest View, one young person was in awe when the friendly adults revealed the fun playpark in the garden. Behind the green forestry and along an enchanted trail, there is a tall-towering climbing-frame and a separate obstacle course-inspired climbing wall along with a seesaw and much more. Together the children run down to the swings, and safely balance along the wooden beams and stretch to find their footing as they make their way to the top.
Beside the Seaside
Open the door to Arran Villa and you’re at Largs beach and adventure playground – the seafront is on the doorstep for kids to enjoy. We also have our own huge garden with a Hobbit Hut, where we’ve had humongous fun hosting BBQs and cycling on our bikes.
Kibble’s Skills Academy offers young people the chance to complete academic, practical and entrepreneurial projects. The students who selected to qualify in Bike Maintenance have gained valuable employability skills and are working towards the prestigious Saltire Award.
About the Qualification
The Bike Maintenance students are working towards the qualification of SCQF Level 3/4 in Cycle Maintenance and are set to achieve the employability units of Personal Development Self and Work, Work Placement, Steps to Work and SQA Employability. Through the vocational course taught by experienced Instructor, Robert Ross, young people learn essential skills in how to repair and maintain bicycles to a roadworthy standard.
Each student can independently complete a quality assurance master checklist when evaluating if a bike is fit-for-purpose. Methodically, the frame, wheels, handlebars, pedals and chain, breaks and gears, along with the saddle are all observed and reviewed with the relevant tool selected to repair if needed.
The process of applying difference tools and placing bike parts together can be therapeutic as the young bike mechanic must concentrate and focus on the task in-front of them and disregard all other distractions.
Instructor, Robert Ross, praised the independence shown by the existing students as they have tremendous problem-solving skills and always try and suggest a solution when a bike has an issue. The students in the class have also developed team-building abilities and communicate with one another about the next steps in how to best repair the bike fault.
“I want to further expand my knowledge and skills in Bike Maintenance and have the chance to learn about more advanced tools.”
Bike Maintenance Student
The students have the ambition and willingness to continue increasing their knowledge of complex bike tools and equipment.
The Practical Responsibilities of the Bike Mechanics-in-Training
The students’ enthusiasm has expanded outside the bike workshop at The Skills Academy. The young Bike Mechanics-in-Training join Instructor, Robert Ross, in maintaining the bike fleet across Kibble including the bicycles belonging to the children who live at Forest View and Arran Villa. Cycling is one of their favourite activities to do therefore the upkeep is an important responsibility.
Additionally, the bikes used by pupils for PE at Kibble’s primary and secondary schools are maintained by The Skills Academy’s bike workshop.
Valuable and Entrepreneurial Projects
Upcycling is achieved by our driven cycle technicians as outdated and unused bicycles can be refurbished and returned to working condition. The repaired, second-hand bikes are available to purchase from The Skills Academy for a minimum fee to make owning a new bike accessible and affordable to more people within the community.
Upcycled bikes have also previously been donated by ourselves to children’s nursery schools and St Vincent’s Hospice. The experience of cycling should be enjoyed by all who wish to try the fun-packed activity.
Inspiring the Younger Generation to Learn About Bike Maintenance
Our Bike Maintenance students are motivating the young generation to learn the valuable and lifelong skill of being able to care for your own bicycle. Our students volunteer at the local Fordbank Primary School and run bike maintenance workshops passing on their knowledge to younger pupils.
The commitment young people have made to volunteering at the local school is helping them work towards being recognised by The Saltire Award, which will see the students gaining a nationally recognised certificate, signed by Scottish Government Ministers, to celebrate and reward their voluntary achievements. It is a prestigious accolade that will stand out to future potential employers.
Overall, the Bike Maintenance students are leading by example and showcasing the accomplishments that can be reached when you are encouraged and supported in a subject you enjoy learning about.
Pupils from our Goudie Academy created artwork to remind everyone to treat one another with kindness and respect.
Pupil and teachers casted and decorated their own plaster boat to highlight ‘we are not in the same boat, but we are in the same storm’. The art piece was inspired by author, Damian Barr, who shared: “We are not all in the same boat. We are all in the same storm. Some are on super-yachts. Some have just the one oar.”
The collaborative art piece celebrates the uniqueness of each individual and reminds us to show empathy to others as we may be in the same situation under different circumstances.
One pupil designed their boat based on the one they sailed during an adventure trip with Ocean Youth Trust. It signified that when sailing a boat, there is a lot to think about – a life jacket is needed and time for maintenance to keep the boat clean from salt water. The same is true for life as some people have access to more helpful tools and resources than others.
The meaning of the nautical art project is one we will try to always remember and live by. We will be kind and respectful to the people in our lives while building trusting friendships to go through challenges and happier times together.
Jim Gillespie, Chief Executive Officer of Kibble said: “We aim to empower young people through education and motivate them to enjoy learning. We are always impressed by the creativity of our young people, especially when it comes to practical skills and artwork. This art piece represents a message we are proud to support at Kibble.”
Posted: August 14, 2023
Last month, we celebrated Volunteers Week by welcoming new volunteers to Kibble. The most recent voluntary team gifting us their precious time have now started their fulfilling role in various services across Kibble.
Our services, which have given a warm welcome to volunteers, include a number of our residential children’s houses, education as well as our mental health services, IVY and SAFE.
We are extremely appreciative to those kind-hearted and caring individuals who decide to dedicate their time to Kibble and contribute to making a difference to the lives of children and young people. Although Kibble do not ask potential volunteers for specific qualifications or experience, the role does require specialist mandatory training and a genuine drive to help others. Time is taken to train, select and match volunteers to our essential services.
It is inspiring to have enthusiastic and positive volunteers amongst our qualified and committed staff team. All together, we can help give young people a chance at life.
On 27th July, a team of avid young footballers put their best foot forward to take part in the annual Who Cares? Scotland Care Cup at Powerleague Glasgow. Attended by over 100 young people from across Scotland, The Care Cup brings together care experienced young people from across Scotland to have fun, get active and enjoy some healthy competition to determine what team would lift the cup and reign victorious.
As always, there was a great turnout from young people across Kibble, with seven enthusiastic young athletes taking part. Teams were split by age group, with two teams competing in both the under 15’s division ‘Rising Stars’ and over 15’s ‘Prime Ballers’.
As the whistle sounded to kick-off the day’s events, our young footballers worked together with their team mates to line up the ball and gain competitive advantage. Scores of fans awaiting their shot at glory cheered from the side lines, encouraging young people to give it their all regardless of what team they were supporting.
“It was my second time at The Care Cup. I was there last year too. I loved it. I was mostly striker, and I scored a couple of goals. The happiest thing was everyone was cheering us on, even when we were losing. Rather than booing us, they were cheering us on and saying, “well done, you did good out there”. Everyone was so nice and kind.”
The enthusiasm and camaraderie between all of the players was palpable, reaching fever pitch when a goal was scored by one young person at Kibble moments before the final whistle. The young goal scorer was rewarded for ‘Best Player’ at the final prize giving, recognised for her ability, positive attitude and goal scoring prowess. She commented:
“I thought the Care Cup was really fun. I didn’t expect to get the trophy for best player. It was completely out the blue, but I was so proud of myself. When we got back, I lay on the couch and couldn’t get up. I was sore for three days!”
Events like The Care Cup are a great way to bring people together to meet new friends, have lots of fun and celebrate their achievements. Jemma Kane, Advocacy Coordinator – Kibble committed:
“I’m so proud of the seven young people who took part. On the pitch, they approached their matches with a positive attitude and willingness to give their best. They were fair, respectful, and considerate of each other – true sportsmanship. And most importantly, they had fun. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a victory for the Kibble teams, but they were all winners in my eyes”.
We’re already talking about next year’s event and will look forward to welcoming new players to the Kibble team.
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