How I’ve Helped Get Other Young People’s Voices Heard
As one EYHC’s Peer Researchers, Charlie Barry has been a crucial part of the team, lending her insight, passion and knowledge to our work on homelessness amongst care-experienced young people. Don’t Let Me Fall Through the Cracks would have been a much weaker report without her input, and that of the other members of the Peer Research team.
As a care leaver, I am passionate about changing the future for other care experienced young people. Late last year I was offered the opportunity to work with End Youth Homelessness Cymru on the Don’t Let Me Fall Through the Cracks report, based on my experiences and skills. When I learned more about the project and how, by amplifying their voices, it would really help other young people, I jumped at the chance! I was excited to help put together questions for a study that would help care experienced young people who experience homelessness and I saw it as an opportunity to really make a difference.
I, personally, was very lucky to have an amazing support network around me, who enabled me to get into supported housing when I was kicked out of my foster placement at 18. During my time being supported by the 16+ team, I have met many young people who have not been nearly as lucky as me, however. If, by getting involved in this research, I could be part of the reason that no other young person has to be put in a position where they are scared about not having a place to stay then it was going to be worthwhile.
I was so happy that EYHC wanted my input and felt like I had the knowledge and talents to help them to design the questions for the interviews they were going to run through with other young people. It was a little nerve-wracking, as I wasn’t quite sure what it would all lead to, but I was made to feel very welcome by the team and had my own experience to go off.
When it came to designing the questions, I was particularly concerned about how to considerately ask other young people about difficult experiences. I didn’t want the questions to seem to insensitive to their situations. Me and Jemma, from the EYHC team, worked through the draft questions to make sure that they were appropriately worded: empathetic and not bluntly put, so that young people answering them didn’t feel judged and could comfortably answer the questions, if they wanted to. It was such an insightful experience to do this, which helped me understand what the study would focus on and what sort of results we might expect from the interviews.
As well as helping in the research design, I have helped to tell the world about the report’s findings. When I was asked if I would participate in speaking at the EYHC/WCPP conference in March, I was so nervous as I’ve never publicly spoken before, let alone to so many people! But it was so worth all the nerves, as I felt we really got the key messages across from the report’s initial findings.
When we were preparing for the conference, I put myself forward to present on the mental health and loneliness findings, as I knew that it would have so much more impact coming from a young person who has their own experience with these issues. I really enjoyed talking about such difficult topics and I feel that it helped those listening understand a lot better how being in care and then having to battle with being homeless can really affect your emotional well-being. I wanted to also get across the point that care leavers already had a lot to deal with in terms of not being with their families, so that loneliness really hits home when you are homeless. It can feel like you are back to square one, with no-one to help you. The experience was so rewarding to me and I received some amazing feedback! I was so proud of myself for overcoming my fears to help make sure that all the young people that we spoke to in the report got their voices and opinions across.
When it came to speaking at the final launch of the report, online at a CASCADE session, me and Jemma had to pre-record the presentation ready for it to be presented on a zoom call. I was a lot more nervous about recording it than I was actually speaking at the WCPP / EYHC conference! I think this was because I had to watch it again as it was being presented to other people on the call. But I was so thankful for EYHC once again asking me to be involved and so proud of myself for doing it. Our presentation really helped get the message across of what the young people felt they needed in terms of help.
When I found out that the Deputy Minister for Health and Social Services was going to be watching the presentation that I was a part of, I don’t think I've ever felt more nervous, ever! But to later hear about the impact we had, and to the First Minister himself speak so highly of a report that I was part of creating, made me feel so proud of myself. I was so happy to hear that he responded so positively to it.
“I’ve read the report; it makes compelling reading, because it speaks in the voice of those young people in Wales who have found themselves threatened with homelessness, or actually experiencing homelessness.” First Minister of Wales, Mark Drakeford.
It made the whole nervous journey for me feel so worth it. I was a part of this. I am part of creating a pathway that allows young people’s voices to be heard. And I will be forever proud of myself for doing this and helping young people get their voices heard, so that something is changed in the way that we help care leavers who are faced with the challenges of being homeless.