Skills & Employability

Moving in the right direction

Online delivery was crucial in keeping young people motivated to engage in our Moving Forward, Moving On project

The impact of lockdown on the mental health of young people was undoubtedly profound. For many, the loss of their usual educational and social outlets left them struggling to adapt to the ‘new normal’ which had arrived.

As a face-to-face training and employment support project, our Moving Forward Moving On programme also had to adapt to a new way of delivering online, while still ensuring it maintained its high quality of service.

As an immediate priority, a daily contact system was put in place to support the most vulnerable young people enrolled in the programme. The team also had to adapt its working patterns to those of the young people, whose daily routines had been disrupted by the pandemic.

While most of the contact initially was made through phone calls and messages, as restrictions eased staff introduced ‘garden gate’ visits and socially-distanced walks to allow young people to see others outside of their family circles.

Practical support was also offered through Extern’s Hardship Appeal, with gas, electric and food vouchers being supplied to the families of the young people engaged with us.

‘Digital poverty’ also proved to be a concern for many young people who had no consistent access to the technology required to allow for remote learning. With support from partners and educational agencies, staff ensured that they could continue with the courses that they were enrolled in online.

168 young people were supported through MFMO in 2020-21

Young people felt confident about sharing their feelings

When I heard about the Coronavirus pandemic I was naturally very worried about how it was going to impact on our day-to-day work with young people. How on earth could we continue to carry out face-to-face sessions, house calls or emergency appointments – all the things that young people need us for? As the weeks went on, the young people that we were supporting became very anxious and withdrawn, especially as they weren’t allowed to go out and see friends and family. We had to keep in touch with regular phone calls to let them know that we were there for them if they needed to talk. Technology was a great help too, as it allowed us to keep in touch with video calls and online messages. The good relationships we had already developed with our young people and their families were also a big help. It meant that they were always willing to engage and confident enough to let us know how they were feeling. Phil Hughes Employment Development Officer, Moving Forward, Moving On