Holly is a member of SiCC & SLCC and in this article talks about her experiences with Christine, her Route1 Independent Visitor, and the life changing positive impact that she has had on her.
Hi I’m Holly, I am a care leaver and am writing about my experience with my Route1 Independent Visitor who I have had since I was 16-years-old, I am now 23. The reason why I got referred to them was because when I was in my foster home I was never really getting out and about and experiencing the world because my foster carer didn’t have the same interests as me.
The process was so simple I had someone who came to my home and got to know me and all my interests so they could find a perfect match for me. When they found me the perfect match, they contacted me and my carer and we worked out a day for me and Christine to meet. When we met, I was very nervous but relaxed very quickly when I found out she liked everything I did.
Over the years she has been there through my rollercoaster of what life has thrown at me and helped me explore places I never thought I would we have. We’ve done loads together from dog walks to theatre shows to big horse shows in London, she has also over the years helped me gain confidence in horse riding and going to new places to learning how to use different public transport that I would have never been on alone.
Christine has helped me feel like I belonged, never once made me feel unwanted like a few of my past homess, she has stuck by me through the good and the bad and even when I turned 18 she has carried on being there, not as an advocate but as a friend. She has also helped me celebrate things that I never really wanted to celebrate, like my birthdays and Christmas. I look forward to each Christmas as she makes me a stocking and each birthday she makes sure it’s celebrated, as when I was 12 I came home from school to some very sad news that my nan who was my rock had passed away just a day before my 13th birthday. Since then until I met Christine I hated my birthday and Christmas and now I celebrate it as I know I’m loved and cared about.
So, what I’m trying to say is if you’re someone who wanted to make a difference like Christine and can be the voice of a young person please contact route one as you could change a young person’s perspective on life and change things for the better.
Route1 Advocacy
Route1 is a countywide service offering Independent Visitors to children and young people in care, children involved in child protection proceedings and specific groups of other vulnerable children and young people.
For more information about Route1 Advocacy, visit their website.