Chris, one of the young people from the residential children’s home Sterling Bach, recently shared their experiences of care at a national conference.
The young person was nominated by the home’s manager Nick to take part in the Voices from Care Cymru (VFCC) conference which was held at Cardiff’s Natural History Museum. Nick felt it was a great opportunity for Chris to share their story and learn from others who had similar experiences.
As a result of challenges in their upbringing, when Chris arrived at Sterling Bach they had very low confidence and were very shy. Since coming to live at the home, the team say they have ‘come on leaps and bounds, with increased confidence to make active choices – including taking part in the conference
A highlight for Chris was traveling to Cardiff, meeting other young people over a meal, and spending the night in a hotel, which they really enjoyed.
On the day of the conference, the young people discussed their thoughts on health and social care, mental health, education, and social justice in groups. Chris chose to talk about mental health, and although nervous, Chris was proud of sharing the story and experiences of Keys with many Welsh Government Ministers and other prestigious guests.
Now back home, Chris has become quite the ambassador for the Voices from Care Cymru (VFCC) conference and is encouraging other young people who live at Sterling Bach to take part in future talks. They are also singing Sterling Bach’s praises and have become an ambassador for the home too.
