Greater Manchester
Visit the Barnardo's Manchester website to find out more about our work across Manchester.
Current Barnardo's services in Greater Manchester
- Asha Project
- Barnardo's Fusion Service
- Benchill Sure Start Children's Centre
- Family Action Benchill
- Gregory’s Place
- Hollinwood Children’s Centre
- Hyde Area Children's Centres
- Making it Work
- Manchester Family Group Conferencing
- Manchester Leaving Care
- Messenger Service
- NW-Fostering
- Oldham Domestic Abuse Service
- Safer Futures
- Salford Cornerstone Project
- Salford Families Project
- Woodhouse Park Children's Centre
- Protect Team
Manchester Leaving Care case study
Katie’s story
Following the death of my mother I was taken into foster care aged 9. Despite the low expectations and fact that less than 1% of care leavers go to university, I managed to succeed in getting a place.
When I left the family to go to university social services just gave me a card with an address and a number to call in case of emergencies. This was the extent of their leaving care service. Accessing the money that I was entitled to was made very difficult. I felt like I had no privacy – I was questioned on everything. The whole system seemed chaotic; leaving care teams simply didn’t have money for housing, and different agencies would interpret and implement the law in many different ways.
Accessing additional support through the university was also difficult. I applied for a university care leavers grant and was told that “no-one ever applied for it” and that therefore nobody knew how to give me any help. I felt totally alone, especially when the death of my former foster mother meant that any contact with a family disappeared.
At one point I became homeless. When I went to a hostel they told me that I had to leave my part-time job and go on benefits in order to get a place. By this point I was becoming very depressed.
Finally I discovered Barnardo’s. The support that they have given me has changed the course of my life. My worker was someone who would fight my corner: sorting out decent accommodation, helping me to access services, and helping me get on top of my finances. She has become more like an aunt – someone who genuinely cares what happens to me. Barnardo’s has provided me with the counselling that has made it possible for me to complete my course. They have helped me to overcome the obstacles, and now I am feeling like I am on a level playing field. I now feel like everything is within reach.
