Emma felt that she was ready to move out of home as it was very stressful there for her. She felt she needed to move out and gain more independence as well as being supported at the same time. This would help her make something of her life and build her confidence. Emma felt that if she didn’t move out of home then she would get kicked out. 

Emma had a very stressful time living with her parents as she felt that they didn’t understand her. Emma was a very shy child and because of this got severely bullied at every school she went to. At 16 years of age Emma developed a drinking problem and got in trouble with the police a few times. Her parents couldn’t handle her living at home anymore so they refused to have her back. Therefore, Emma was placed in a Behavioural Resource Service for 8 weeks. This enabled Emma to have some help and support as well as giving her parents a break from her.

Emma missed out on a lot of her education due to the fact that she got badly bullied at every school she went to and she couldn’t cope with this. Emma left school with no GCSEs or qualifications. Emma hopes to get a part time job soon with the right help and support for her to succeed in this. 

Emma is currently doing a NVQ Level 1 course in Retail, which is due to finish soon. Emma still needs a lot of support and encouragement to help her overcome some of the issues that she has as a direct result of her childhood and life experiences. 

When Emma first moved into the YMCA she was very quiet. Emma’s childhood experiences have had a massive effect on her and she finds it very hard to interact with lots of other young people. Emma has a small circle of close friends and is a very caring and friendly young lady.  She has worked very hard since moving into the YMCA and as a result she has almost gained her first qualification. Emma has proved many people wrong in many aspects of her life and that shows great determination on her part. Her confidence has improved and with support that the YMCA offers she can achieve great things in her young life. 

In the future Emma would like to have a proper job where she feels comfortable and to move out of the YMCA into a place of her own and to be able to get on with her life despite any setbacks that may happen.