Tom

Tom had been involved in ASB and was associating within a negative peer group, which subsequently lead to Tom experiencing many problems within school and his personal life. At school Tom struggled to engage and follow the rules, which in turn caused many problems and this led to numerous suspensions. His overall attendance was poor and he failed to sit any GCSE's. Tom will be the first to admit now, that he had made some very bad decisions with regards to his education. In 2006 he was referred to Enthusiasm, and was assigned a mentor on the YIP programme.

With the support of his mentor, Tom took part in a 12 week education programme which covered independent living, employability, work experience and personal social development. His mentor and the learning tutors supported and encouraged Tom throughout the course and together they were able to effectively challenge and change many of his previously troublesome attitudes towards life.

The journey for Tom has been hard and he struggled initially with the boundaries that were being set but for the first time in his life, Tom was making his own positive decisions about the here and now, which was leading him to consider the possibilities for the future as well.

Tom has proved himself to be a very determined and has worked extremely hard to achieve his goals. He has demonstrated a clear capability in practical tasks and he is courteous in his work, and is more than capable now of recognising his mistakes and making every effort to amend them. Tom has made every effort to change his life in a positive way since beginning this course, from improving attendance and punctuality, to developing his maturity in dealing with issues and conflict.

As a result of his own commitment and determination, Tom has recently acquired a place on a Level 1 Sports Course at Derby College, and is doing extremely well in all areas of his study. Tom has also committed to become a volunteer at Enthusiasm and help to guide and inspire others much like himself.

Claire

Claire was referred to Enthusiasm's Triple R programme and The Key for ongoing behavioural issues, truancy and exclusions. As with many young people, Claire was also trying to deal with issues outside of school which included excessive alcohol drinking on the streets leading to anti-social behaviour and an association with an older male was putting her at risk. There were also family issues at home, dad was an alcoholic and there were domestic violence issues.

Working in partnership with other organisations, Enthusiasm helped to deliver a programme of interventions which included intensive mentoring sessions and home visits, drug and alcohol counselling, and family support to offer advice and guidance on discipline and boundaries. Many agencies were involved in Claire's care, working together as an holistic approach. Claire now attends education more regularly and no longer walks out or refuses to complete work. Her attitude towards staff has got better and her relationship with her mum has also improved which has enabled a calmer home environment. Claire has been able to look towards her future and has begun to make plans and has aspirations to continue her education. Claire continues to receive support from Enthusiasm who work closely with the family. There are still issues affecting her life but due to the positive changes she has made, Claire is able to deal with these in a less destructive way.