‘You don’t have to do it all on your own’
Bethan Wilson is the Getting Ready Development Officer at Children in Wales (CiW) – the national umbrella body for organisations and individuals who work with children, young people and their families in Wales. Bethan’s role involves helping young people in care get ready for independence.
I work on CiW’s Getting Ready project, coaching and supporting young people with their financial education skills, independence skills and confidence. I work with young people to create resources about many aspects of leaving care. We also run workshops, designed by young people, for young people and foster carers.
I wanted to work with young people and chose to go into youth work because it’s more informal than education and I didn’t really enjoy school. I moved out of home when I was very young, so the financial education side of independent living is where my passion lies.
I’ve worked in youth hostels, supporting people into independent living, and also at The Prince’s Trust (now known as The King’s Trust); so when this job came up, it seemed perfect for me and my skill set.
The cost of living! But also we’re still dealing with the impact of COVID which brought changes to how young people want to engage – they have had a world of being online, but we are trying to get people to meet face-to-face to reduce isolation and social anxiety. And, of course, social media which, despite all its positives, also has many negatives.
I think living on your own can help you develop so many skills, but it can go downhill very quickly if you don’t have the support and knowledge.
The main skills I think people need to get ready for independence are linked to financial education. It sounds really boring, but it’s so important – budgeting, tax, credit, interest rates, Klarna, rent, mortgage, loans.
Also managing mental health is important – we’re seeing a huge increase in anxiety and depression, as well as suicide, especially amongst young males. We all need to be aware of mental health and knowing where to go to get support. And also employability skills, like communication and teamwork.
For young people leaving care the main options are When I am Ready arrangements, youth hostels, their own accommodation, going home to families, or moving in with friends. Unfortunately, for some people there is also the risk of homelessness.
For some young people it might be a better option to move away from the area they are currently living in to develop a new social circle; other young people might benefit from independence hence move into their own home. However, When I am Ready can benefit a young person, for example when they are going into higher education or are still figuring out what they want to do.
The decision-making process really starts with having several conversations with the young person looking at the pros and cons of each accommodation choice. Ideally, I’d like this conversation to start at 15 or 16 which is hard because their friends won’t be thinking about this.
If I could change one thing about foster care, I would want to give more people more time to make the big life decisions, like non-looked after people get. No young person should have to be worrying that they might be homeless or living in a hostel when they turn 18.
I left home at 17 and I should have put my hand up and asked for help. I thought I’d be fine but I got into difficulty and that could have been avoided. An important message is that you don’t have to do everything on your own.
