Shereen was first taken into care at the age of 13, and had a number of foster placements before formally leaving care at 24. Despite getting lots of encouragement and guidance from her local authority Leaving Care Team, Shereen didn't know how much support was available to help her get into employment.
Being in care makes it difficult to settle, but I'm definitely more resilient and can adapt to change – life is unpredictable and so these are good qualities to have!
After graduating from university, Shereen found out about an internship scheme for care leavers at the Department for Work and Pensions. Introduced to her by the Care Leavers Foundation, now part of the Rees Foundation, the 12-month paid internship gave Shereen the chance to work as part of the Children, Families and Disadvantage Division in Central London.
The role was varied, but focused on improving the employment outcomes of the most disadvantaged groups in society. It was challenging and provided me with so much valuable experience.
The internship gave Shereen the chance to work with colleagues across a range of teams, as well as build relationships with people in the voluntary, community and social enterprise sectors. It also provided an opportunity to share her story of looking for work as a care leaver with people across the Jobcentre Plus network.
The role really opened my eyes up to the world of government and social policy, especially as it was my first in that area. I was judged on my outputs and not my background – this was so refreshing.
In April 2017, after finishing her internship, Shereen started a new role with Transport for London, as a customer service assistant. Working in a bustling Central London station gives Shereen the chance to work directly with new and exciting people every day, from tourists to celebrities.
There is a lot of support available for people with similar backgrounds. I'm so glad to see campaigns, like See Potential, bridging the gap and raising awareness of the barriers people like me face.There's a pool of talent out there, that might otherwise go overlooked. With guidance and support, there's no limit to what can be achieved.
See Potential encourages employers to recognise the benefits of recruiting people from all kinds of backgrounds. These include ex-offenders, care leavers, homeless people and some military veterans.
Backed by more than 100 employers, the government-led campaign showcases the talents and business benefits of hiring people from different groups.
This month it is highlighting care leavers. Employers can sign up and support the campaign at seepotential.campaign.gov.uk.
