Youth Archives

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Tackling the NEET crisis: A collective responsibility for education, employment, and training

09/12/2024

A recent article in FE Week, titled ‘Crisis in schools creates a NEET problem for FE to solve’, spotlighted the escalating challenges faced by young people and local authorities in ensuring young people are engaged in Education, Employment, or Training (EET). This rise in young people classified as NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) is a societal issue with far-reaching implications, and at Shaw Trust, we firmly believe it is everyone’s responsibility—not just further education (FE)—to support young people’s transition

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Empowering Northampton’s young creatives: A breakthrough in careers guidance

20/11/2024

With the rising number of young people not in education, employment, or training, it is more important than ever to offer new and inspiring career pathways. Many young people possess untapped creative potential, but lack the resources, self-belief, or knowledge to pursue it as a viable career.That’s where Northampton Town Council’s first-ever Creative Careers Week came into play.The Creative Careers Week was designed to engage and inspire young people not in employment or education. Over the course of a week,

New Somerset school offers a different kind of learning environment for children who need extra support

05/09/2024

We are pleased to announce the opening of our innovative new Therapeutic Education provision in Somerset, offering places for children and young people with additional and SEND needs. This initiative is part of a Strategic Partnership between Shaw Trust, Somerset Council, and Somerset NHS Foundation Trust. The partnership won the Innovation in Partnerships’ category at Municipal Journal Award (MJ) Award in 2023 for its work. The MJ awards is the biggest National annual awards ceremony for local government. https://youtu.be/a-F7KulnEh8Download transcriptThe service will

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178 exams sat at Feltham Young Offenders Institute

10/01/2024

Feltham Young Offenders Institute is often in the news. The offenders held there have committed serious crimes and are marginalised from society. However, at Shaw Trust we believe everyone has the right to a future and we work in partnership with our Youth Custody Service colleagues providing education to the boys. The majority of the boys have had a poor relationship with education in the past and engaging them takes patience and understanding. 50% of students at Feltham are assessed

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Can an advert change anything?

05/12/2023

Last year when John Lewis’s Christmas ad came out it won our hearts with a man learning to skateboard so he could connect with his new foster daughter. It made us cry, smile and want to care. But did John Lewis’s Christmas advert have an impact on the foster care system and the children waiting for a foster family in the run up to festive season? While hopes were raised by an immediate uptick in enquiries, Shaw Trust’s Fostering2Inspire Manager, Kathy Hamilton

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Why aren’t we fixing it if it’s broken?

01/12/2023

Yesterday the LGA published a report noting children’s social care costs are rocketing, with a 1,000% increase in the cost of care for society’s most vulnerable children requiring complex care. Shaw Trust knows that the children’s care system is broken. In England we have seen the number of complex cases and specialist requirements for children in care grow to 82,170, more than 4,000 additional children since the pandemic. But – in Somerset our partnership led by Somerset Council and the NHS

Somerset young people win national award

01/11/2023

On Wednesday 25 October, young people involved in our Homes and Horizons project won the A National Voice Collaboration Award for their work. Homes and Horizons is our residential, fostering and education partnership with Somerset Council and the NHS. The young people involved were all members of Somerset’s two care experienced peer groups, one for children currently living in care and the other peer group for care leavers. Along with the Somerset project lead the young people travelled to London

Pioneering a new approach to children’s social care in Somerset

24/08/2023

The children’s care system is broken.While there are staff across the country going the extra mile to provide children with the best possible support they need, it’s obvious to anyone connected to children’s social care or leading local authority services that the system isn’t working.Pre-pandemic, services nationally were creaking under pressure as we supported 78,150 children in 2019; post pandemic, the number of complex cases and specialist requirements for children in care has grown by 5% to 82,170, more than

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Somerset Children in Care celebrated at annual awards

27/07/2023

The outstanding achievements of Somerset’s children and young people were celebrated at an awards ceremony at Taunton Rugby Club on Tuesday 25 July. The event, which was attended by celebrated author, poet and care leaver Lemn Sissay OBE, was organised by care experienced young people from the Somerset In Care and Somerset Leaving Care Council (SiCC and SLCC). Young people were praised for their enthusiasm in learning, reading and in lessons, their performances in school plays, music and sports, and

Donated Chelsea Flower Show Exhibition Garden attracts media

06/07/2023

For the last month one of our homes in Nottinghamshire has been getting a garden redesign as the building materials from the Savills Plot to Plate Chelsea Flower Show Silver Gilt winning exhibition garden have been transported from London up the M1.The donation was made possible following a meeting with Chris Luck, and has been in the planning for more than nine months. But now, fully planted and repurposed by garden landscaper, Gillian Goodson, the children living in the home

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Category: Youth