Connect Project

We understand that the transition from school and becoming a young adult can be a challenging time. There are a lot of changes to the people and places you know and you may not feel completely confident about moving on.

How do we help?

Connect offers a flexible service which adapts to suit the support you need in a safe and welcoming space. Together, we build your confidence and skills and agree targets for you to work towards at a pace that is right for you. You can stay with us while you get ready to take your next steps.

You will be able to try new things and develop your skills and knowledge by working on your own or alongside others in small groups - whatever suits you.

Your own plan:

We work with you to create a flexible plan that is personal to you. It focuses on things like social skills, communication, creativity and independent living skills. Your plan can also help you to make the transition to the next stage of your life. This could be by helping you to strengthen your relationships with the people around you and by guiding you through the processes to access housing, further education, employment and volunteering opportunities.

What next?

If the Connect Project sounds like it could be for you, get in touch with us using the form at the bottom of this page or by calling 01856 872897 (option 3).

We will arrange a first meeting to talk through what we offer at Connect, find out about your goals and how we can help with them.

If you decide Connect is right for you, then we would complete a more detailed referral form with you, your family, school or careers service, or any partner agency you may be involved with so we can all work together toward your next steps. Once that is done, we create a plan to introduce you to Connect, the staff and other young people at a pace that suits you.

What our young people have said about...

Planning ahead:

It is good to have time to work out what I want to do.

Learning new skills:

I'm trying new things and I know that will help me when I move on.

Gaining confidence:

I am more positive and feel I am ready to make good decisions.

FAQs

- How often do I need to attend Connect?
  You can join us as often as you can manage each week. This could range from 1 time a week to 4 times a week. How much time you spend with us is based on what you feel you need and what you are able to commit to.
- How big are the groups of young people?
  Our groups tend to be small in size. There might be up to 6 people in a group. We also have one to one sessions, but the aim would be to help you gain enough confidence to join a small group.
- How long are the sessions?
  Our sessions are around 2 hours long. Sometimes the timing of boats or buses mean you cannot be there at the beginning. That's okay, you can arrive when you can.
  There might be a day when you want to take part in the morning and afternoon sessions. When this happens, you can stay in Connect over lunch if you would like to. We can also provide a light lunch.
- What if I am unable to make it to a session?
  We will always encourage you to come along to a session but we understand that sometimes it is difficult. You may have days when you feel you are unable to join us and that's okay. If you are due to come to a session but cannot make it, we ask that you let us know in the morning. If we are expecting you and we do not hear from you, we will always get in touch to follow up.
- What kind of things do you do?
  During the cooler months most of our sessions are based in the Connect hub. We might invite a guest to show us something new or play games to build your social and communication skills. In the summer, we take advantage of the better weather and the opportunity to get out and about in Orkney.
  We do things like:
  - crafts
  - gym session
  - gardening
  - games groups
  - outdoor walks
  - cooking
- What are the other young people like and will I fit in?
  Connect is a welcoming and safe place where you will find others experiencing the same types of feelings as you.
- How can you help me with my next steps?
  If you do not feel ready to move on to the next stage, we can help you build your confidence, learn new skills and meet new people. Together we will create a plan to work towards your next steps.
- What if I am not ready for my next steps yet?
  Everyone works through things at their own pace. There may be a few more steps needed before you reach your goal, but you will get there and we will always talk with you about what is working, what is not and what you think might help to get you ready.
- What are the referral criteria?
  Our referral criteria are relatively broad in recognition of the variety of reasons that some young people struggle after leaving school. They find this time difficult and are not ready to enter more formal learning programmes or employment yet. They:
  - live in Orkney and are vulnerable or isolated
  - have left school or are near to leaving school
  - are aged between 15 and 21
  We want to be able to support as many young people who are struggling as possible. Connect is not always the right fit for everyone and we take time to make sure that we are the best service to help them. We are happy to have an initial conversation with a referrer or to attend a transition meeting. We will discuss the young person’s needs more thoroughly once the young person has agreed to find out more about Connect and a referral has been made.
  To make a referral, please complete a Referral Form.
- Do you have a waiting list?
  We try to work with young people as soon as possible but there may be a wait if the young person needs initial one to one support or has interests that do not fit with an already established group.
- How do you decide if Connect is the best fit for a young person?
  We are very much a 'first steps' service. We encourage young people struggling with getting out and meeting people to build their confidence. We will prioritise young people who are not engaged with other services but sometimes work in collaboration with partners to establish an individualised programme. The decision to come to Connect should be a collective decision between the young person, their referrer and/or family and us.
- How can you help with next steps?
  We want our young people to feel safe and supported within Connect. We will offer a range of activities with the aim of building their confidence and skills. We are guided by their interests and strengths, increasing the areas where they feel comfortable to create manageable steps toward their goals.
- What about confidentiality?
  We take confidentiality very seriously and are careful with the information that is given to us. We will always ask permission to share information with relevant partners when it is appropriate. For example, with education, housing or health. This allows us to provide the best support.
  If we are concerned about the safety and welfare of a young person, then we will share this information with the appropriate authorities.
  Anonymised information and statistics are also included in the reports we prepare for our funders and our management board.