This is a successful, unique and highly regarded programme, which halow have been running since 2009.
Many young people come to us after formal education has ended for them. This can be a traumatic time for both the young people and their families, as many of the services and relationships they have relied on, come to an end.
Goals such as further independence or work may not be an immediate option and we find that young people often need other means of learning new things, gaining vital new skills in the community and challenging themselves, to aid their growth and development and prevent them becoming socially isolated.
Building Futures is a highly person-centred programme. In our small group environment, we can focus on each individual young person’s goals and development as they grow through the programme, whilst all benefit from the group dynamic and community-based setting.
We have grown to now run 3 developmental year groups.
We now run our Years A-C concurrently. We call the year groups A-C to distance ourselves from formal education. Most young people join us in Year A, but it is key to our philosophy that any young person does not have to work through our year groups sequentially.
For example, we have had young people move on after 1 year as they had used their skills to build a sequence of other jobs and supported work. We have other young people join us in Year B, as developmentally we felt this was a better fit to their goals.
We view our outcomes as the genuine real life changes that people make with us, or after they leave our programme. We are trying to build their futures. Some example outcomes for young people have included…
-a 6-week placement, leading to a paid job at Waitrose.
–halow ‘Philips’ placement, leading to paid work
-Paid work at Superdry, their dream job!
-Supporting with Building Futures as a volunteer
-A paid dog walking job
-Volunteering at a public café
-Volunteering a charity shop
-Volunteering at a charity cafe
-Volunteering at the Bike Project
-Work based learning at Frimhurst Enterprise
-Contact with a disability modelling agency in London
-Becoming a dance teacher at Stop Gap
-Many Young People have moved on to EmployAbility
-Work placement with the Growth Team
-Work placement at Mane Chance
-Volunteer work at Watts Gallery
-Paid work with a Tree Surgery company
-Voluntary work at the Brain Tumour Trust
-Paid gardening job
-Paid work at Costa Coffee
-Volunteering at a care home
-Fully independent travel
-Going to University
-Focused adult vocational learning: Photography, dance, art, etc.
-Further therapeutic support
-Successfully learning to drive
-Moving on to other halow services
-Have started doing their own housework
-Have started making their own lunch
-Cooking and kitchen skills.
-Learnt to tell the time
-Travelling to lots of new places independently on buses and trains
-learning to handle their own money
-Opening a bank account.
-Planning and delivering a session to other young people
All young people leave the programme as more independent.
-Many young people have moved into their own home.
-Many young people live more independently in their family home.
-Having a halow Buddy to help at home and beyond.
-Gaining more / 1:1 support
All young people develop their social skills, network, and confidence.
-Building real friendships
-Being part of the halow community.
-Meeting up outside Building Futures.
-Getting a boyfriend / girlfriend
-Year Cs presenting at a national conference
-Being invited to Birthday parties
-Access to halow Social Activities
-Accessing night club evenings
-Accessing other charity’s events.
-Accessing bespoke cultural events
-Joining a gym
-Joining the halow Youth Committee
Building Futures runs four days per week for 49 weeks of the year. There is a cost for this programme and is therefore suitable for young people with their own funding or a personal budget. For more information or to refer a young person to this program please contact Graham.O’Connor@halowproject.org.uk