What were the difficulties?

Luke came to us after experiencing a range of difficulties. This included substantial damage within the foster carer’s home, self-harming behaviour including head banging and running out into the road. Luke had limited negotiation skills, low self-esteem, attachment difficulties, and also a sense of failure after the breakdown of his foster placement. Luke’s restricted thinking patterns allowed little scope for change at the time.

The work we undertook with Luke and his network

Debbie was appointed to be Luke’s Keyworker and her focus was to befriend him and create conditions that enabled him to start forming a positive relationship with her and the team. We took an active interest in his hobbies, attending parents’ days and liaising with the school. As time progressed Luke began to feel more secure.

We developed strategies to help Luke to work on his self-esteem, focusing on his wishes and feelings to become an electrician. He was able to achieve the GCSE grades he needed to attend college, and was even able to attend a school trip to America. We undertook work regarding loss and separation and facilitated bereavement counselling. Through key working, careful planning and restorative approaches Luke was able to have contact with a family member who had abused him. Luke worked closely with his key worker, building his independence skills in preparation for his next steps.

What emerged?

Luke was extremely upset and frustrated about moving to a children’s home. He had an acute sense of rejection and strong mistrust of adults. He was avoidant in allowing himself to form attachments and would often dysregulate, leading to him trying to hurt himself or others resulting in us having to restrain him. Luke made a disclosure of historical abuse perpetrated by his father when he was much younger.

Luke’s successes

Educational

• GCSE English – Grade D, GCSE English – Grade D BTEC First Diploma in Business with grade merit, Performing Arts – Pass/Merit, PHAT Awards (Personal high achieving targets)

College

• C & G level 2 certificate in electro technical technology installation (credit)
• On-line (credit)
• Principles of electro technical multiple choice (credit)
• Working with others (pass)
• Working effectively and safely in the electro technical environment (credit)
• Attendance: 100%

Luke’s progress

Luke’s awareness had increased and he was able to understand how things from his past had impacted him. He was able to form and maintain meaningful and secure relationships with adults and had achieved his own goals in education with a clear career pathway. Relationships with his family/network had been established and repaired. He had the social and independent skills to live independently. We assisted Luke moving into independence as a as a confident young adult.