When Kaitlin first came to be supported by Quarriers Families Matter service eight years ago, she was one of over 4,000 children in Scotland who live with a family member other than their parents in a formal kinship care arrangement.
Kaitlyn says, “I had a good and bad childhood. My mum wasn’t well, so my brother and I were in care with my grandparents. Living with my gran was perfect. She’s a good soul. She’d do anything for you.”
But coming to a support service isn’t an easy process for young people. Kaitlin remembers the slow process of connection clearly: “I remember my first day ever coming to Quarriers. I was so shy! I didn’t know what it was, but I ended up thriving. I loved the staff – my support worker was always giving me advice. It was like having a good friend.”
“Quarriers have been amazing. They reassure you that every family is different, but they’re all also the same.” Kaitlin
Activity days and residential trips are key elements in support for young people. After Kaitlin had been on a residential trip herself, it was her brother’s turn. That’s when a suggestion from Kaitlin led to the development of a peer support programme that is still thriving. Kaitlin explains, “My brother was so shy, so I asked if I could attend his activity day and help him, and that’s how the peer support started.”
Operational Manager Tracy Rigley says, “Kaitlin’s suggestion led the team to embed a program that saw older children helping out with younger ones. That has developed even more so that now we have a structured pathway for young people to become peer mentors, and then, once they are older, to become a volunteer. It brings young people on so much and gives them valuable experience. We’re about to see the second young person come through that process and become a volunteer. Kaitlin has been the trailblazer.”
“Kaitlin is just an all-round supportive young person and has such a nurturing approach.” Tracy Rigley, Operational Manager
Although no longer supported by the service, Kaitlin still attends service activities to help and support young people in her official capacity as a volunteer. She’s keenly aware of the power of peer support for children and young people who are both supported and supporter: “Being on an activity as a peer mentor is different – you feel more responsible and you have to help the young people to come out of their comfort zones, especially if they are shy. But they do come out of their shells and it’s amazing to see. I love it!”
As other young people benefit from Kaitlin’s legacy, she hopes to continue to make a difference, and is studying to be a social worker. She says, “I have good experience of working with children and young people now, and I want to work with children and also their families. I have so much to thank Quarriers for.”
