Edward, 23, came to the UK in 2019 as a refugee from Ethiopia and was supported by his local authority until he was ready to move into a semi-independent supported home with Centrepoint. He's now working closely with the jobs and education team and is excited to find a role that keeps him interested and engaged for the future.
Finding Centrepoint
Edward*, 23, was first referred to Centrepoint 4 months ago after being referred from another supported accommodation. He first arrived in the UK in 2019 as a refugee from Ethiopia and was supported by his local authority until he was ready to move into a semi-independent home.
“I was in Westminster, and I was ready to move on and I said to my PA that I needed a more independent accommodation, and they suggested I come to Centrepoint”.
He wasn’t sure what to expect when he was referred, as he had only heard that it was a home with other young people and thought that it might be a loud or bustling space. But he was pleasantly surprised when he arrived at his new home - seeing just how peaceful the location and respectful everyone in the apartment block was. He’s been grateful to have somewhere safe he can call home and start to take the next steps into independence.
“It’s been good settling in and starting at college and then starting to look for work as well. I didn’t know what to expect but this is a really quiet place, and I thought that it might be a bad environment – I thought it might be noisy and not that safe. But it’s very good – it’s much safer for young people to be here. It’s good and I feel good – it’s safe and there’s not that much noise around”.
Taking steps into work
Despite only being with Centrepoint for a few months, Edward has been keen to take up every opportunity he can to find a job, get his qualifications and take the next step in this life. He’s currently in college, where he is studying for English and Maths exams which he hopes will help him as he enters the working world so that he can have more options open to him when it comes to finding a role.
“I’m studying maths and English and it’s good because it’s going to help me to find work in the future for my career”.
He’s been working closely with Elizabeth, a jobs and education advisor, to find roles that he might be interested in taking forward. She’s also put him forward for opportunities with Centrepoint’s campaigning and policy teams, where he has shared his lived experience to help make vital changes to laws and systems in place. He even had the opportunity to speak with members of parliament recently, sharing his experiences of the benefits trap and the impact that this has had as he starts taking on paid work.
“Elizabeth’s been helping me apply for jobs, look for jobs and she recommended that I got to a parliamentary event. She said I could go and meet people and ask questions to members of parliament”.
He’s recently completed his SIA qualification, which is a security training course, necessary for those looking to work in the security field, such as door supervisors, security guards and CCTV operators. He learnt a lot of helpful advice and tips for working in the trade during the course, including how to manage difficult situations, basic first aid and de-escalation techniques.
“So, I’ve been working with Elizabeth, and she helped me to apply to the security course and then just look around for other jobs – she’s very very very helpful!”
He’s currently waiting to get his results in the post to see if he has passed the exam – once he gets the outcome, he’s excited to begin looking for roles in the sector.
“The course helped me to know how to deal with customers and what being a door supervisor means. How to give CPR and help your team. We also learnt about intervention – so you know when you come across people in different situations and how to deal with them in a good way. How to use a walkie-talkie and how you can report anything”.
“I’ve done the exam to get my security badge – I think my results are coming in two weeks, so I’m just waiting for that and then I will apply for a job in that setting”.
Finding his dream role
He’s open to any role in the future and interested in finding a position that will keep him interested and engaged in the work for a long time. As he has been taking on volunteering roles and studying at college, he’s looking forward to the moment he can find a paid position that works for him.
“I’ve got lots of things in my mind when I think about the future. I could be a nurse, or something in the law or maybe in business administration – you know just something exciting. They’re all quite different but they all got something interested and I will decide which one”.
Having the support of the jobs and education team around him as been a huge help for Edward as he moves towards work. Amy has been another advisor who has helped him during his journey – knowing that she’s on hand to help with any issues he might be having, has been a huge stress relief for him.
After attending lots of different interviews for roles and getting his applications in, he feels ready and supported to take the next steps towards to getting back into work.
“Amy has also been helping me. She always says ‘tell me if you need anything or support with anything and just call me or you can meet me’”.
“They’ve been supporting me with work especially. That’s my main thing is to go back to work, looking for new work and applying for the work. We’re trying the best and we are almost there – just lots of interviews”.
Next on Edward’s list is to get his driving licence under his belt, to help him even more with finding roles and give him the freedom to get around, without having to rely on public transport. He’s currently doing his online theory practice, trying to find a time in the near future, where he can get some practical lessons and take the test.
“I want to get my driving licence so I’m seeing when I can start. It’s good to drive even if you don’t have a car. It’s good to have the licence for a lot of jobs they ask you if you can drive, especially all the different work I’ve been looking at. They ask you do you have a licence and I think it looks really good on your CV”.
Taking time to reflect
Now that Edward is settled and has been taking some huge steps with moving towards living independently, he’s had a chance to reflect on his experiences and also to think about what might come next. He recognises that the plans that he had in mind, might not have panned out the way that he expected but that it might all be part of a wider plan.
“The future comes to you – sometimes you know the plan and sometimes try, and you plan, and it doesn’t go the way you want, but it’s the way that God wills. So that’s the main thing for me - it’s to have the plan and get the job, get the house and start everything moving”.
Finding meaning
As an avid reader, his advice for others comes from his favourite book ‘Man’s Search for Meaning’, which chronicles the experiences of Viktor Frankl, during the Holocaust after he loses everyone he cares about in the concentration camp he was imprisoned in. The book describes his psychotherapeutic method in trying to find purpose in someone’s life.
For Edward, this book had a profound meaning of always continuing, no matter the adversities around you because you never know what might happen for you in the future. He recommends that anyone who needs some motivation or support should read this book, as it can show you that there is a future for you, even if you have been through the worst tragedies.
“My advice is to just never give up. A lot of people say this but really never give up. There’s a book called Man’s Search for Meaning that is very beautiful, and I really think that every young person should have to read this because if they’ve been through difficult times, if you read that book from the beginning to the end, you know it talks about his experiences in the Holocaust, the hunger he felt, how he had lost his family and then he became a Professor at a university”.
“If you read that book it can help you to not give up. He was in a situation where he had lost everything, but he didn’t give up. I think a lot of young people who come here through lots of different countries, they might feel like they want to give up, but I think you’ve got to hold onto the future and always look at the opportunities”.
Edward’s outlook and motivation to improve his situation is truly inspirational and we wish him all of the best as he moves towards independence.
*names have been changed to protect the young person's identity
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