With help from the youth service at Valley House, young mum Hayley is feeling positive about the future.
“I was already involved with Valley House when I heard about the youth service. I have a baby son and the team which deals with young parents were helping me learn about being a parent. They referred me here, to the youth service, because I want to improve my chances of getting a job.
I decided to go on a two-week course called Jump Start to help me work out what I want to do for a job. I felt a bit worried before I started the course. I have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) as well as Tourette’s Syndrome and I am also dyslexic. I thought I might struggle a bit.
Reading and writing can be difficult for me but the staff picked up on this and helped me fill out all the paperwork. I ended up really enjoying Jump Start. As well as learning new skills, I met some good people and made friends. I still meet up with three of the girls. They’re young mums like me, so we have things in common. We go out together, we share childcare, and we give each other a shoulder to cry on.
One of the best things about the course was focussing on what I really want for the future. With the help of Valley House, I decided on a career in beauty. A youth worker helped me fill out an application for my local college. A week later, I had an interview for a place on the beauty therapy course. It was that quick!
I feel much more positive about the future now. I’m waiting to hear back about the course but it won’t be the end of the world if I don’t get on. The youth workers here are helping me look at lots of different options.
My son is starting at the Valley House nursery in a few months. That will give me time to study and go for interviews. I’m feeling much more confident and positive about the future now.”
Note: Valley House shares real stories from the people we work with. If necessary, we use stock photographs and change some details to protect the identity of individuals.
For more Survivors Stories See: https://valleyhouse.org.uk/case-studies/
