By Javier Tucker – Senior Reporter
The theme of 2025 is ‘to know yourself and grow yourself’, but what does that mean when you’re the one providing supportive attention to others?
This week marks Children’s Mental Health Week, a pivotal reminder of the importance of mental health and well-being in young people. Whether it’s the challenges children face or the need for ongoing support in an ever-changing world.
As part of Children’s mental health week, I had the opportunity to interview Caroline, Holly, Kondi, and KK, dedicated professionals in the care sector at Kingdom Youth Services, accompanied by Shania, a young person in care. They kindly shared their insights on the various challenges young people in care face today.
The journey into Care work
Each team member had their own reason of journeying into caregiving, yet a common theme united them as one- a drive and shared commitment to ensure that no young person feels alone or unsupported.
KK shared that her journey began as a mother of two children with special needs, including autism and ADHD. Witnessing firsthand the vast difficulties of raising those with behavioural challenges, this inspired her to enrol in supporting young people who correlate. “I wanted to make a difference in a young person’s life,” she stated.
For Caroline, the decision was also deeply personal. Someone that she knew very close to herself, faced compromised challenges, leading to incarceration at a young age. Upon their release, he struggled to reintegrate back into society.
Motivated by this experience, Caroline recognised the urgent need for more tailored support for young people and children. “We began to think, what can we do to help children avoid repeating this cycle?”
In 2020, Caroline contacted Swindon Borough council to establish KYS to prevent further young people from similar hardships.
Kondi already had connections to the care sector through a family member in social services and encouraged him to apply or the job. He quickly became passionate and fell in love with the job. “Just seeing the people come in and progress from going to crisis to being to be independent, keeps me going.”
From the other side of the system, Holly knew exactly what it was like growing up in care system, growing up in care from birth until the age of 16. Now, she’s on the other side, having worked in HR for over 15 years, not only to provide her expertise but give hope to those in the same position.
“I want them to see that there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and that their lives are in their control, regardless of their experiences,” she stated.
Challenges facing young people in care:
The discussion switched to the biggest challenges young people in care face today, which by mental health has merged as a key standout.
Caroline highlighted that mental health has been overlooked in the past, but now most recently became a broader discussion. However, she emphasised the fact that due to current discussion, many young people or even adults, struggle to access appropriate support.
Holly echoed this concern, suggesting for more specialised mental health training for care workers. “Everyone at KYS has the passion to help, but I think what our kids in care would like to see is just some more training around how we can help those with mental health,” she implied.
Despite the extensive conversation around mental during the interview, Caroline insighted that the services provided are still limited, revealing that once children are placed in CAMS, the referral process takes an infinite amount of time. Those who fail to be enrolled post 16 will be denied access to the service, now forced to be enrolled into adult services, which by Caroline emphasised is a more complex matter.
Caroline said: “if you’ve been a young child, and then you’ve had mental health challenges from when you’re younger and that if you don’t get treatment, you don’t get support.
“Now that goes on to adulthood, and that leads to, majority of the time, that other behaviours start to, you know, to come out from the person who’s going through the mental health challenges.
“And before you know, we have people that are in very undesirable positions.”
The role of Kingdom Youth Services:
Kingdom Youth Services (KYS) play a vital role in providing a haven for those who are facing severe circumstances. Whether facing homelessness, family breakdowns or trauma, KYS offers stable accommodation, ensuring emotional support and skills development to support young people to go from crisis to thriving.
Caroline revealed that “no one child is the same,” highlighting the importance of providing centred support and care, with each worker rained and tailored to meet the unique needs of every child.
Whilst KK described how KYS works to equip young people with essential skills, to be ready for independence when they’re 18. She said: “We will try and get them into education, college, work, manage their own finances, budgeting, ready, so that when that time comes, they can go out into the big bad world and hopefully have less challenges than when they came to live with us.”
Shania’s story- a young person’s point of view:
To provide a first-hand perspective, KYS’s team replenished her early interactions whilst first arriving in care. Shania at the beginning was shy and withdrawn, by fully isolating herself from any social interaction and engaging with staff and peers.
However, overtime with the consisting support and confidence provided by Kingdom Youth services, Shania gradually grew confidence.
Kondi, who worked very closely with Shania, recalled their first interactions.
“She didn’t want to be around anyone at first, we have had our ups and downs, but over time, through conversations and activities, she started opening up and engaging more.”
Shania’s progress is more than evident through her passion of poetry, with each poem painting symbolic message of her own personal struggle and growth. Caroline and the team at KYS have been encouraging her talents, with Kondi noting: “We’ve seen her grow into a confident young woman. She has the potential to achieve great things.”
Whilst Shania’s progression has manifested over the years, she has expressed the ongoing seclusion during her time in care.
“You have no friends or family in the place you live with and have nothing to do with you.
“It feels like you’re being babysat 24/7.”
Holly, who also grew up in care, was paralleled in a similar position and questioned whether caregivers are only providing assistance because they are compensated.
She said: “As I have got older, those people really set the foundations for your life, you just can’t see it yet.
“When I Left at 16-18, those were the years, I wouldn’t actually have had any of these foundations, it’s up to us as individuals what we want to put and achieve going forwards.”
Upon going forwards, Shania’s ambition is to one day venture into the care sector, but rather on the opposing side as a “mental health supporter’, affiliating the needs of those who believe caregivers are unwilling to help, but who will understand and acknowledge the situation from personal experience.
Kingdom Youth Services serves as a reminder that with the right support, every child has the potential to build a brighter future.
For more information on KYS and their services, visit Kingdom Youth Services or contact them at 01793 376176
Check out Kingdom Youth Services website, click HERE.
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