Tag Archives: Natalie Atkinson

Compassion and consistency – the key to enabling positive change

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Natalie Atkinson

Natalie Atkinson

In this, her second guest post at the Social Care Workforce blog, Natalie Atkinson, a student at the University of Cumbria, updates us on her progress in getting support from her local authority for her studies. There is also news of an upcoming BBC 3 documentary on young people’s experience of the Criminal Justice System and prison. Natalie took part in the Communities of Practice programme: Delivering on the integration agenda for people with multiple and complex needs as an ‘expert by experience’.

Taking part in the ‘Communities of Practice’ research programme run by the Social Care Workforce Research Unit (SCWRU) and Revolving Doors Agency as an expert by experience, has been the start of an amazing year. Having been given the chance to positively use my own ‘lived experience’ to assist in improving front line collaborative responses to people facing multiple needs and exclusions, has given me more confidence to succeed. I never imagined that writing a guest post for the Social Care Workforce blog back in July would play such a huge part in opening doors of opportunity; the power of social media in today’s society is immense. Following on from the guest post I became a contributor for ex-offender.co.uk and was drawn into the world of Twitter; now I am probably classed as a ‘tweeter’.

In November 2013 I finally won my battle with the Local Authority (LA) and received commitment from them to support me through my journey in higher education but more importantly received an apology for how my case had been handled. At the age of 21 I felt that I had been abandoned by Children’s Services when they closed my case and this ultimately made me resent the LA. Yes, Children’s Services have shown compassion and heart in my case, but how many other young people are out there who are not in a position to challenge the decisions that are made about them by different LA’s? Consistency needs to be demonstrated throughout the care system as that is one of the main things a lot of looked after children do not experience. I consider myself to be lucky enough to have the determination and support to challenge decisions.

With only seven months until I graduate with a BSc in Policing, Investigation and Criminology from the University of Cumbria, I still find myself pinching myself to see whether it’s all been a dream. However, the closer I am getting, I am starting to realise that it is reality and this is actually the start of a new chapter in my life. I no longer have to feel ashamed of being a care leaver and an ex-prolific offender because I am actually able to use this to challenge the judgement and prejudices that exist. I can stand as a prime example that you should never give up on a child or a young person and hopefully this will empower individuals, who are in a similar position to one that I have once been in to make changes.

Having left school at such a young age and spending my time snowballing through the Youth Justice System and then the Criminal Justice System (CJS) makes me appreciate the importance of education. A big part of my journey has been returning to education and discovering that I can use my ‘lived experience’ to assist in gaining academic knowledge and I plan to carry on studying and go on to complete an MSc and then a PhD. I have recently been appointed as a Service User Trustee for Homeless Link and I am hopefully able to use my own life experience to campaign for continued and improved support services. One of the biggest opportunities to arise from the guest blog for SCWRU and being a contributor for ex-offender.co.uk has been to use my own experiences as a basis for a BBC 3 documentary on young people’s experience of the CJS and prison, which is due to be aired in April 2014.

Since a young age my life has been like a roller coaster and to this day I still consider my life to be the same but the only difference is, is that I am now part of a positive roller coaster and I get to decide the route I take. I am not able to say for sure what the future will hold for me, but what I do know is that I will always be standing behind the children and young people that are labelled by society; saying if I can do it then so can they. My mission is not to change the world but to challenge the policies and practices that effect children and young people and hopefully one day I might be in a position to influence change.

Natalie Atkinson was an expert by experience on the Communities of Practice programme. Lead researcher at King’s on this project was Senior Research Fellow, Dr Michelle Cornes.

Follow Natalie on Twitter @Nat89atk

Making positive changes

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In this guest post, Natalie Atkinson, a student at the University of Cumbria, recounts her own experience of entering further education as a care leaver and ex-offender. Natalie took part in the Communities of Practice programme: Delivering on the integration agenda for people with multiple and complex needs as an ‘expert by experience’. The project was run by the Social Care Workforce Research Unit (SCWRU) at King’s and Revolving Doors.

Having taken part in the ‘Communities of Practice’ programme run by SCWRU and Revolving Doors Agency as an ‘expert by experience’ I learnt a lot about the professional practices which are intended to support people like myself. Much so called recovery orientated practice for example, is about ‘encouraging’ excluded people to take up education, training and employment opportunities.

However, despite these ‘good practices’, I still experience many barriers on a daily basis including financial, discriminatory, stereotypical views that exist around care leavers and ex-offenders. I had to fight to be accepted into University and be given a chance to prove I was a ‘worthwhile’ candidate as I was not the typical ‘safe’ option that would be guaranteed to succeed. Some people still seem to look in shock if they find out I am a care leaver and previous prolific offender studying a Policing and Criminology degree, but I just highlight that I have got all the relevant experience to be successful. Who’s better to work with those in the Criminal Justice System and Care System? Those people with a degree or those with life experience and a degree? I would have to settle for the latter.

It has only just come to my attention that even though Social Services had closed my case at 21, I am entitled to request support for financial assistance for my undergraduate fees and accommodation as a former relevant care leaver… Not that I am expecting a quick response, as it concerns requesting money from a Local Authority. I would not have known about this support if I had not come about it by chance while doing University work. The question that needs to be asked is how many other former relevant care leavers are unaware of their entitlement to support when accessing higher education between the ages of 21 – 25? From my own personal experience I presume this is a substantial amount of people.

I am now entering my third year at University and have recently started to look for funding for a Masters Degree in Criminal Justice that I hope to start in 2014. Yes that’s right; I want to carry on studying in order to better myself and to be able to be in a position to encourage those who have been ‘excluded’ and ‘labelled’ by society to have the confidence and belief in themselves to return to education, training and employment, and build the future that they deserve. I have taken the first steps by nearly completing a degree and securing employment working as a support worker in homeless hostels through my own determination, but how many other people would have given up due to lack of support, knowledge, confidence and funding?

Natalie Atkinson was an expert by experience on the Communities of Practice programme. Lead researcher at King’s on this project was Senior Research Fellow, Dr Michelle Cornes.