Leaving the care system is a daunting experience. In an unknown and challenging world, young people often find themselves without the support they require to manage life outside of care. In response to this need, ASDAN launched Moving On in early 2024, a course designed to equip learners with the knowledge and skills they need to live independently.
Blue Mountain Homes provides residential care primarily to 
looked-
after children who have been excluded from, or are long-term refusers of mainstream education. Transforming lives through its bespoke approach to education, the organisation was an early adopter of the Moving On programme. Kirsty Carmichael, Learning Coordinator at Blue Mountain Homes (pictured to the right), shared the significant impact Moving On has had on their learners’ outlook and future plans.
A flexible and adaptable curriculum
”Blue Mountain looks after a small group of up to 15 learners, aged between eight and 18. Our school's educational philosophy is centered around personalised, interest-based learning. We have them learning, but they don’t realise they are. If we’ve got their interest, we can build their whole curriculum around it.”
“Moving On gives us the activities and the guidance, but the flexibility it offers on how we can deliver those activities allows it to fit with the way we work. If you are teaching predominantly to the national curriculum, there is a way of doing it and it can be quite black and white. Moving On is so much broader and allows for those little grey areas.”
A lot of our young people have experienced trauma at school, quite severely in some cases. To avoid re-triggering that trauma and creating a barrier to learning, we don’t refer to it as school or education. We call it enrichment time, or in some instances, time with Kirsty! We often focus on one activity that covers a multitude of elements. If we're repeatedly going back over something, they get frustrated and bored, leading to them disengaging. And that's not what we want. We're trying to give these young people the best journey they can have.”
“The introduction of Moving On has been amazing. With the post-16 groups, they are so scared of their future and taking those next steps. If they have been in the care system for a long time, they've almost been wrapped in cotton wool. They've had those protective measures there, but when it comes to them leaving that system, that's a big, scary world to them. We were looking for a way to deliver important life skills and prepare young people for their future. Moving On gives them the best possible tools to do just that.”
“Delivery ASDAN’s Moving On programme has filled a huge gap in what we offered our young people. "The activities in Moving On frame all the practical, crucial information that young people needed in the real world and gives them the chance to experience it in a meaningful way."
Real skills for real life
“In the ‘Managing Money’ module, we covered weekly shopping budgeting. Our young people didn’t just sit and look at things online, it got them out there physically doing it and going to a range of shops. They can see the different products, compare the prices, do taste tests on brand and supermarket lines. All this stuff makes it easier for them to understand and to learn, and it gives us the freedom to use our imagination in how we deliver things.”
“Being able to manage their money is such a crucial skill in all aspects of their new life. Depending on where they are in the care system dictates how much money they are given. They may get a clothing, toiletry or activity allowance but when they move on, they don't have that. We work through the ‘My money in the future’ task and explore the places where their income can come from, and how they will manage that. A lot of our learners are keen not to be on benefits, so we can leapfrog into the ‘Starting a Career’ module and get that conversation moving.”
“Moving On gives our young people the knowledge crucial for life outside of care and setting up a place of their own. It tells them what they need to know. Things like how to read gas and electric meters, manage bills and set up direct debits, and what to look out for to avoid being exploited.”
“There was a situation with one of our young people had moved on into a supported living accommodation and the landlord tried to evict him. Through what he had learned in the ‘Building a home’ module, he knew that as an active tenant, he couldn’t just be kicked out and there was a process to follow. It also gave him the confidence to challenge the landlord. In a very terrible, real-world situation, he was able to stand up for himself and his rights, which is amazing.”
Making a difference
“I would absolutely recommend that other settings deliver Moving On as part of their curriculum. It’s so easy to use. The adaptability means that one piece of work can be delivered to any level and that’s so important to reach young people in care. You will not regret it and will really see the difference it makes”.
Find out more about Moving On and get in touch with our team to speak about how the programme can help your young people.