At Roundabout, we want to give young people a voice.
Young people are at the heart of everything that we do, so involving them in decision-making is really important to us.
An example of this is interviews – we try and include young people on the interview panel if possible and when appropriate. Not only does this allow us to receive valuable feedback from someone who has received support, but it also shows a young person how much we value their opinion, and them as an individual.
Rebuilding confidence and a sense of self-worth is something that is key to a young person’s development.
Nichole received support from our Supporting Tenants team, so when we held interviews for a new Support Worker recently, we asked if she’d like to be on the panel. She jumped at the chance!
“Hi my name is Nichole and I have been involved with Roundabout for a long period of time, receiving support. I’m honoured that Roundabout asked me to volunteer and help with their interviews. This means a lot to me because they have known me a long time and have definitely seen me at my worst, and at my best too! It really touched me that they asked me and trusted me. This has given me the strength to get up and get motivated this morning and it’s shown me that I can do it. Everything in life is possible. They offered me Meadowhall vouchers for helping but I said it was okay – Roundabout has done a lot for me and gone above and beyond – I feel so comfortable with Roundabout and if I can help, I will. Their support has been outstanding. I was nervous before the interviews but I really enjoyed it, I felt really comfortable and it’s made me want to get onto some training courses and lead me into different opportunities to be more successful. This has been a great opportunity and has made me so happy.”
Roundabout works with hundreds of young people in South Yorkshire who are either homeless or need support to avoid experiencing homelessness. The team that worked with Nichole, our Supporting Tenants team, make a huge difference in preventing homelessness by tailoring support to each young person’s needs, to help them sustain their tenancies.