I have a clear mindset but my social worker assumes I need extra help. Listen to what we say.
Everyone has a different story. We are unique. Other people at school make assumptions if they know you have care experience so I usually keep my experiences to myself. It would be better if there was no judgement.
Sometimes it’s better just to have peace and quiet and sometimes it’s good to have people worry about you because it shows that they care. Not all care experienced young people are the same.
I’ve been painting as long as I can remember and it makes me feel better when times are hard.
When I have to move foster placements, it makes me feel sad and because I don’t want to feel sad I bury my emotions. I might need to leave this foster placement soon which worries me. If we could have more say in who we live with and meet them ahead of moving in, it would make things easier.
This is where I meet my friends. My friends are my family, and I'm glad I live with them. We cook together and hang out at home. The government should give us options of where we can live.
I go here to smoke cigarettes with myself and think about the future. When I came to the U.K 12 months ago, I couldn't speak any English. You have to learn the language before thinking about work. If you try hard, you can achieve anything you want to achieve
He's my best friend and I hope I have him forever. If you have friends you can do anything. In the 12 months I've been in this country, I've been working on my English and tignya which my friend speaks.
You need a good social worker. This work is important. If social workers tell you what they can do and what they can't do, then you can make a plan. Honesty is important.
Care leavers can't just get a house and at the last minute suddenly become independent. I've had to be prepared beforehand as I care about my transition and take full responsibility. I advise all care leavers to do the same so they can make the most of their flat.
The prayer mat and Quran is my path to life. If I'm ever pulled to a wrong destination, I know where to jump on board to be on the right track. My religion, Islam, gives me peace, clarity and a sense of purpose.
I do a lot of advocacy work for my borough. The fist represents taking action and the lightbulb represents our voices being heard at CICC. Advocacy should be available and advertised for all care leavers if they want to be involved. All boroughs should open doors for this.
Music is my escapism. It gives me confidence and I can't live without it. It stimulates me for my career in the entertainment industry. We all need to find something we're passionate about and build it up. Encourage us, help us follow our passions and provide necessities and funding to help us pursue them. Personal advisors shouldn't look into past experiences, they should help us look into the future because it's spotless.
The colours of the leaf stand out like I do. This is how it feels when you have care experience. CAMHS is postive but we need more mental health support.
I've grown up too quick for my age due to my experiences. I've struggles wth who to trust. If you are working wth someone with care experience, don't paint on fake words. Be honest.
Social workers can be a barrier to seeing your loved ones. I was meant to have supervised contact with my mum and sister every month, but we had to wait 9 weeks. This made me feel more low than I can describe. It needs sorting out.
Having a social worker involved means I have appointments and things standing in the way. I love my social worker but I'm looking forward to a more normal life with a job and kids. It's going to get better. The sky will be less grey.
School's should pay more attention to personal issues and offer support for students in trouble. I want to be better at school but I'm not supported. You can't change the past but the future will be bright like the morning sky.
When you have experience with care, there's a lot of people involved. When there's so many people to speak to it can become confusing. I've had five social workers in total but it would have been easier if I could have stuck with one. Then I'd know who to turn to.
With school you can't tell anyone about your care experience because they'll make fun of you. In the Compass group, I feel calm because I know that others in the group won’t tell anyone about it because they're in the exact same position.
We deserve better. We deserve to be happy.
Education is important, it's harder to go to school when you have other things going on, but keep going. You ned a lot of activities to stay out of trouble.
You have to work in life, in order to have a good life you need a house, and to get the house you need money. Don't think because you're in care you're going to have things given to you.
Children in Care Council makes things better like the light through the trees. We meet on Wednesdays to talk about all sorts of things to do with care. It's about getting our voice heard. I love the way we're in charge.