'I help care leavers who are constantly failed'

Jade Barnett said she is using her pain for purpose

"I have used my pain for purpose," says Jade Barnett, who at 15 entered the care system and was moved 260 miles from her home in south-east London.

Ms Barnett, 24, from Lewisham, now supports young people who are “constantly being failed” by the care system.

She co-founded Power2Prevail Community, which has been given £8,000 for a new project to support young people with life skills, including financial literacy.

"I know it will still be a tough journey, but I want them to be equipped to make the next transition into their community," Ms Barnett said.

'System fails children'

Her social enterprise specialises in supporting care experienced young people and students at risk of exclusion.

“I want young people to see that there's more to life than what's presented to them," she said.

“Now I live and breathe working to support young people, I have used my pain for purpose.

"The system constantly fails children; we need to be the change that we want to see.”

Ms Barnett said the course she is running is based on her experience of leaving the care system

Ms Barnett was moved to Blackpool just before she took her GCSEs and said she felt she was "destined for failure".

"I first entered the care system in London," she said.

"I went to six different schools, a pupil referral unit, and lived in foster care in Birmingham before being put in a black cab and moved to Blackpool, crying all the way.

"I was told I would be there for two weeks and was there 18 months.

“I was labelled and judged and was constantly put in situations where I felt I was destined for failure.

"There were no people like me in Blackpool, and I had to fight to not lose my identity.

“I was a young person who loved to learn and did well despite being in care, not because of it."

Ms Barnett was awarded £8,000 from the Funding Futures Programme, a joint fund from Unltd, Co-op Foundation and Phoenix Group, to start a new programme for young people.

“The course is based on my own lived experiences of my transition to independence," she said.

"When you turn 18 and you're in the system, you are being pushed out. Care leavers don't get quality support to understand the realities of the world.

“So we will support young people with managing finances, cooking, self-love, staying safe, loneliness and mental health, and building a pathway to further education or employment."