Teenage mothers and fathers
We are helping teenage parents
to reach their potential. By employing teenage parents and acknowledging
their expertise, their levels of confidence are quickly raised.
Staff meetings reduce their isolation and they regularly socialise outside
the workplace. When a teenage parent attends their first staff meeting
with the charity, they are often quiet and withdrawn. It is testament
to the charity's success that at subsequent meetings, they participate
with real enthusiasm.
Teenage parents speak young people’s language and so earn respect
in the classroom. Their new-found confidence and the charity’s encouragement
and support leads them back into education and on to further employment.
Straight Talking provides one to one mentoring, visits from careers advisors, counsellors and other professionals. They are given support with finance issues and signposted for further help.
They receive comprehensive support
and training to deliver the programme and their progress is regularly
monitored, assessed and reviewed. They receive extra training in
child protection, classroom behavior management and equal opportunities
and diversity.
If a young parent shows a sense
of responsibility and maturity towards their employment, they are offered
driving lessons. This is, however, dependant on available funding.
See our page on driving lessons for more information.
Some of our teenage mothers and fathers are now;
- employed by Barking & Dagenham local authority to coordinate our work there and run other services.
- job sharing a full time post as Staff Managers for our charity
- a Youth worker
- a Community Police Officer
- on teacher training courses to become secondary teachers (3 young parents)
- partipating in a diploma to become ante natal teachers (partnership with the National Childbirth Trust
- studying for an MA
- studying for a business degree
The charity provides references for future employment.