ng homes helps support care-experienced young people into work and wellbeing

The young people (aged 16-26) and their CCAES coaches were introduced to touch rugby through Pitstops Launchpad, a programme combining physical activity, wellbeing support and employability development. The programme was designed to challenge participants, with a focus on motivation, confidence building and goal setting. Employability workshops ran alongside the physical activity.

CCAES supports young people aged 16 to 26, offering tailored one-to-one and group employability guidance, career planning and help to overcome barriers to sustaining work, training or education. Working closely with social work and a wide range of public, private and voluntary organisations, the service is always seeking new opportunities for the young people it supports.

With many unsure of their future career paths, staff focused on identifying strengths and interests. Glasgow Kelvin College contributed three gym-based sessions led by sports coaching students, a mix of cardio work and weightlifting.

One participant, Craig, rediscovered his passion for fitness, managing an impressive 160kg lift and now hopes to attend a sports coaching course at college he told staff, “This course has been good for getting me into a routine, improving my fitness level and pushing me out of my comfort zones”.

ng homes also provided bikes and organised two mountain biking sessions, which proved highly motivating for several of the group. One participant, Scott, who has always been interested in biking, has since been offered work experience with ng homes’ bike mechanic, Christie Smith, to explore the possibility of a career in this area.

The group also completed a two-day accredited course delivered by Money Ready, covering personal money management, budgeting, debt advice and financial preparation for independent living.

Spending time outdoors and having staff fully involved in activities had a particularly positive impact on participants’ mental wellbeing. Engagement levels were noticeably higher during physical and nature-based sessions. A day working with Venture Trust and The Conservation Volunteers (TCV) at Festival Park saw the group work together to build a bee bank, taking on tasks such as trench digging and land shaping.

Following the enthusiasm of the group over the initial period, the programme was extended by a further six weeks in partnership with TCV. Participants gained experience in areas such as invasive species removal, tree planting and soil identification. The extended programme aims to build the skills, knowledge and confidence needed to apply for Glasgow City Council’s upcoming Neighbourhoods, Regeneration and Sustainability (NRS) apprenticeships later this year.