Increasing Opportunities for Youngsters in Care

Pictured: KATY Co-ordinator John Farrell and ASDSAN Co-ordinator Danny Duff with Huyton Today reporters Stephen Elverson and Andrew Mawdsley

Young people in care have been reaping the benefits of a unique Knowsley project - the only one of its kind in the country to offer new opportunities to young people in care. The project has had so much success that it is set to be expanded.

Knowsley Action Team for Youth - KATY - offers children aged 12-16 who live in residential homes or with foster carers the opportunity to try new activities. Many of the children are from Huyton.

Each KATY programme runs for twelve weeks and involves a range of activities aimed at boosting the youngsters' confidence and self-esteem whilst helping appreciate the value of teamwork and good citizenship. The course also involves social and cultural awareness skills, health, first aid and anti-bullying. The programme offers the young people residential weekends away to places such as the Lake District, North Wales, Dublin and London where they are able to try out rock climbing, horse riding, canoeing and much more.

“The young people seem to get so much out of the experience,” said KATY Project Co-ordinator John Farrell. “This is reflected in the excellent attendance figures. The support that the young people give each other and the way they respond to the young people with disabilities is amazing.”

The programme places emphasis on the young people becoming good citizens and on a diversity away from crime.

“None of the people who have completed the course have since been involved with criminal offences,” he said. ”Five young people were nominated for citizenship awards by Merseyside Police and all gained runner up prizes for young citizen of the year,” he added.

Some of the young people who have had difficulties in the past have had their lives transformed by the project and have gone on to become mentors, helping and supporting younger children on the project.

Every young person who joins the KATY project is given the opportunity to gain the ASDAN award (Award Scheme Development and Accreditation Network). This is a recognised award which can be included in the person’s National Record of Achievement. The youngsters build up a portfolio of work which is then assessed and is theirs to keep.

“The sense of achievement the young people gain from the ASDAN award is fantastic. It is very often the first positive achievement they have ever gained and we are very proud of them,” said ASDAN co-ordinator Danny Duffy.

Co-ordinator John Farrell added, “The feedback I have received from parents, foster parents, social workers and most importantly, the young people themselves, has been very positive indeed. It is incredibly rewarding to see how enriching the whole experience is for the young people.”

Sixty-seven youngsters have so far been through the seven KATY programmes and the eighth is now underway.