Kirklees Together

A care leaver from Kirklees has described how the support he received from his social worker has helped to transform his life.

Sam* has come forward during Social Work Week (18-22 March) to share his positive, first-hand experiences in the hope of raising awareness about the profession and encouraging others to take up the role.

Sam fled to the UK ten years ago from Afghanistan. He was aged just 13, alone and in fear for his life after witnessing his father being killed in an unprovoked attack.

After being placed under the care of Kirklees Council’s Children’s Services, Sam met children’s social worker John*, who, for the next five years, took him under his wing and supported him in moving forward with his life. And whilst nothing could ever replace the father he lost, Sam has described John as both a hero and a father figure.

He explained:

“There have been three people in my life without whom I would not be alive today. From the age of five it had always been just me and my dad. Like his own father, he had once served as the head of his community and, over the years, he kept me safe from those who would come to see him – and by association me – as a threat.

“There was also the family friend who acted swiftly and selflessly to hide me from the men who came looking for me in the immediate aftermath of my father’s death, despite the very real risk to their own safety. And then there was John.

“I met John on the first night I arrived in the UK. It was the middle of the night and I’d voluntarily made my way to a police station in Huddersfield, having spent the past seven months making the gruelling journey, mostly on foot.

“I was scared, confused, starving and almost sick with exhaustion. It was John who came to assess me at the station that night and, through a translator, he asked me about what had happened. For the first time in a very long time, I cried because I knew I was finally safe.

“From that moment, John became my children’s social worker and within hours he’d taken me to a local children’s home. It was a few days before Christmas and the other children were happy and excited, but I felt very alone.

“John would visit me regularly and he’d spend many hours with me, finding out about me, what I needed, what I liked and didn’t like, and would tell the care home because I was quite shy. I barely spoke any English and because I didn’t want a translator to know my story, we communicated through an app. To the other children I must have seemed quite strange and I didn’t mix much with them. I only wanted to talk to John.

“My past had left me damaged in so many ways. I didn’t know it at the time, but John knew. After a lot of encouragement John eventually persuaded me to get the help I needed. Together, we watched a film about a man in therapy and he even translated news articles to make me realise just how important it was. I ended up having two years of specialist PTSD therapy, without which I never would have recovered.

“In time, John also made me realise just how important it was for me to make the most of the opportunities I was being given, even if at first I didn’t want to. I also realised that education was the key and I recently completed my degree in International Business Studies at the University of Greenwich.

“Without John’s guidance, I’m certain my life would have gone off the rails in one way or another. I would have had more fights, ended up in prison or I’d be dead. As I got to know John over the years, all I saw was someone who had devoted his life to helping vulnerable children and I knew this wasn’t just a job to him.

“My father raised me to be a good man, but John really shaped me to be a good man. Even though I’m now leading an independent life, we’re still in regular contact. He’s the reason I’m here and the reason I talk about my story.”

Cllr Viv Kendrick, Cabinet Member for Children, added:

“Children’s social workers up and down the country are helping to change the lives of vulnerable children, young people and their families, often under the most difficult of circumstances.

“It’s about protecting vulnerable children, making sure their voices are heard and that they are safe, well and seen. This can range from making sure children in care are involved in decisions about their future, to supporting their transition into independent living.

“In Kirklees we are incredibly passionate about supporting our children, young people and families. Our goal is to keep families together wherever possible, so we also work closely with at-risk families, getting to understand their lives and wishes and working out their needs, so that they too can access the right support where it’s needed.

“Children’s social workers can help transform lives and it is those positive outcomes that make the job so worthwhile and so immensely rewarding.”

Find out about becoming a children’s social worker 

To find out about becoming a children’s social worker in Yorkshire and Humber please visit the Children’s Social Work Matters website, which contains a wealth of information about the role of children’s social workers, including case studies, qualifications needed and routes into the profession.

*Sam and John have had their names changes in this article in order to protect their identities.