Free to be Kids- Case Study

Tafari, aged just 10, is on a Child Protection Plan because of his parents’ heavy alcohol use, learning difficulties and mental health problems. Their household is chaotic and hostile with shouting, screaming and threats a daily occurrence.

Tafari, as the oldest child, has the role of a Young Carer in the family home. He is often seen by members of the wider community doing the shopping and carrying heavy bags of groceries home, sometimes as late as 9pm on a school night. He gets his siblings ready in the morning and helps with all the chores/cooking due to his stepfather’s heavy alcohol use and his mum’s mental health problems. His family has recently been rehomed, so Tafari has been forced to start a new school, where he doesn’t know anyone, has been a victim of bullying and has struggled to make new friends, eroding his confidence and self-esteem still further.

Tafari started coming on our Free to be Kids residential trips in 2022. Initially, he was apprehensive about leaving his family, he had never left London before and presented as tense and nervous, but that soon melted away. He loved seeing the sea for the first time, trying activities he had never done before and having the time and space to run around playing football.

Thriving in the warm, care-filled atmosphere created by our gentle and patient volunteers, Tafari quickly became popular amongst the other children and adults, often acting as a spokesperson for the boy’s group. This was powerful for Tafari because he saw people liked and accepted him, challenging his narrative that he was different and ‘no good’. Across the week his confidence skyrocketed, he became more relaxed and couldn’t stop smiling. His belief that he is unlovable and unimportant, which stemmed from the bullying at school and the often volatile environment of his home life, was challenged by his experience of completing stretching activities, being respected and feeling he belonged as part of a team. On returning to school his Headteacher called us, amazed at the impact the residential had had upon his previously fragile confidence, and told us Tafari has been counting down the number of sleeps until the next residential. We will continue to support Tafari through the rest of his childhood to deepen and sustain the transformation in his confidence.