{"id":1951,"date":"2018-10-25T12:17:54","date_gmt":"2018-10-25T11:17:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk\/imo\/?p=1951"},"modified":"2023-02-14T12:49:39","modified_gmt":"2023-02-14T12:49:39","slug":"why-im-proud-to-be-a-care-leaver","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk\/imo\/career-experiences\/why-im-proud-to-be-a-care-leaver\/","title":{"rendered":"My unconventional route to university"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n

I am a care leaver, and I wanted to share my story and the lessons I\u2019ve learnt in recent years with you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the 28th July 2017, I went missing from residential care. It was my last night in care and I was petrified. I went out, made bad decisions and got a lift home from the police.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The next morning I didn’t feel so good about the choices I had made, but I knew that my future was now in my hands. I had to make better decisions, so I decided I was going to say yes to every opportunity I got, I was going to seek out opportunities and make myself proud. A year on and I haven’t said no to any opportunity since, I have worked hard and played hard and I wanted to share with you where I am today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have studied law credits with the Open University, and I am going on to study law at university. I want to specialise in human rights because, being in care, I learnt that rights are too often seen as optional. I am a trustee of a children’s rights charity that aims to protect the rights of children living in institutionalised settings. I have had the opportunity to be part of the creation of my local authority\u2019s offer for others in care. I have written blogs for the Howard League Reform<\/a>, an amazing charity that are working to reduce the criminalisation of looked-after children. I have interviewed social workers. I have attended amazing events with law professionals and so much more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am not saying all of this to brag or big myself up. I am telling you because when I was in care, I felt hopeless. I felt that doors were closed to me because I was a looked after child and when I left care I refused to accept that and, with hard work and determination, I’m not doing so badly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Everybody’s circumstances and interests are different but I truly believe that being a care leaver means I am more resilient, more self aware, more determined and it has helped me get to where I am today. I see it as a badge of honour, an asset.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

When you are selling a product it needs to have a unique selling point, and when I am selling myself I always tell people about mine, because professionals in my experience both in social care and other fields recognise that being a care leaver does not have negative connotations. It means that you have experiences that make you a stronger individual.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am proud to be a care leaver and I guess what I am trying to say is that you should never feel like it defines who you are or what you are capable of.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I didn’t take a conventional route to university, I did all right in my GCSE\u2019s, then I did performing arts for a year to annoy my mum! I then didn’t do any education for a year, and then I did a law module with the Open University, somewhere anyone can enrol. I got accepted to university with that qualification and quite frankly, I think taking the conventional route anywhere is a little bit boring! Why do what everybody else does? It’s a competitive world, you want to stand out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About the author
\nThe author is a care leaver, university student and a regular IMO contributor.
\nIf you’d like to write for IMO, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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