Josh's story
How EYPDAS helps young people like you
How Hannah helped Josh, 16
In care since he was 10, Josh had just been sent back to live
with his mum when I started working with him last year. I work
as an Offender Related Service worker and Josh has severe learning
difficulties and a mental age of five or six. In his early life,
he'd witnessed violent abuse from him mum's partners and was made
to live like an animal, eating from a bowl on the floor.
Josh was smoking a lot of cannabis and drinking alcohol, often
with older people. He had been taken to hospital several times
after falling down drunk. We gave Josh someone to confide in and
talk to about his problems. When his mum threw him out, we
supported him.
Josh had come very close to being sent to prison, so we arranged
for him to take part in the "Lock and Learn" Project at Chelmsford
Prison. He went on a tour of the prison, including the drugs wing.
Talking to prisoners, he was able to see what prison life is really
like.
Now Josh has a stable place to live which means he feels he
doesn't need to use drugs or get in trouble with the police any
more.
Photograph modelled for The Children's
Society | © Laurence Dutton | 2009
Darren's story
Steven's story