Sophie is now 25 years old. She is a Youth Worker and runs a group for young people aged 11-16 in her local community in Sheffield, encouraging them to take part in activities, develop confidence and learn new skills. The community she now works in is the same one where she grew up, so she can really relate to them.
Sophie is at a great place in her life now, but she has come a long way to get where she is.
Growing up, Sophie lived with her Mum. When she was 12, her Mum met a new partner who then moved into the family home. Over the years, the relationship between Sophie and her step dad suffered many ups and downs, with Sophie regularly staying in her bedroom out of the way of potential trouble.
Eventually, the police were called during an argument at the house and they removed Sophie from the situation for her own safety.
“It was midnight when I left the house and I had nowhere to go. I called a mate who thankfully let me stay the night on their sofa, but the next day I had to go and declare myself as homeless to the council. I’d always been scared growing up that one day I could be homeless and now my biggest fears had come true.”
After living at her friend’s for a week, Sophie moved into a hostel for a fortnight, before moving into temporary accommodation. After a few months, she moved into her own council flat.
Although Sophie had friends in the area, being thrown into a lifestyle that required complete independence was difficult. She was only 18 and had to learn how to cope with managing a tenancy, organising her money and teaching herself essential skills such as budgeting, cleaning and cooking. Unfortunately, Sophie also lost her job meaning she really struggled financially to cope with day to day living costs.
“I battled with a lot of things myself to start with, but eventually got to a stage where I couldn’t cope. I didn’t want to face the possibility of becoming homeless again, so I asked Roundabout for help.”
Sophie was assigned a key worker who she worked with to help her get back on track. He helped Sophie learn how to budget her money and looked at areas where she could improve her spending. He also introduced her to Cheryl, Roundabout’s Mediation Worker after speaking to Sophie about why she left home.
Roundabout’s Mediation service is funded by Children in Need, and aims to help young people and their families resolve problems and reach agreements, allowing them to take a step towards repairing relationships.
“It was a difficult time when I had to move out and felt so alone. I wanted to be able to speak to my Mum again and have her as part of my life but I didn’t know where to start. The Mediator was fantastic, she really listened to what I had to say and gave guidance and support. One of the first things that she suggested I did was write a letter to my Mum, explaining my side of things but also being understanding of hers. This letter was the start of me and my mum getting back on track. She encouraged me to look at things in a different way and examine the reasons why both my Mum and I react the way we do. Talking things through really helped me to understand my mum’s side. Mediation was the key to helping me to form a relationship with my Mum again and without it, I don’t know where we’d be now.”
Sophie is not only a Youth Worker, but in her spare time she has been going into local schools and volunteering as a Peer Educator for Roundabout, helping to spread awareness of youth homelessness and telling her story to students to prevent them from risking becoming homeless in the future.
“I couldn’t have achieved the things I have over the years without Roundabout. Peer Education has built up my confidence and I have learned valuable skills that helped me when I was looking for a job. They’ve been a massive help in helping me turn my life around and I’m in such a good place now!”
