Case Study

“I felt like I was the only person in the whole world dealing with this and that to reach out to anyone to talk about my struggles seemed weak.”  
 

This was Jefferson, struggling with anxiety throughout his teenage years as he adapted to life in a new country. Professional and personal support helped him turn a corner and acted as a prompt for him to become an Ingeus Youth Voice Ambassador. He’s now determined to shape services for other young people and carve a career where he can “be that person that I needed the most, for other people”. 

 

After years living in the Philippines, and then Spain, Jefferson moved to the UK, quickly learning English and heavily supporting his less-fluent parents. After completing a BTEC in Business, he found himself unemployed and was introduced to Ingeus through the Restart Scheme, an employability programme that helped him gain a catering role. In early 2025 he was invited to an Ingeus workshop to feed into the government’s emerging Youth Strategy and from there his public interest – and voice – grew. 

 

Jefferson’s time with Youth Voice sees him attend youth workshops, co-design Ingeus programmes and processes, attend meetings with fellow Ambassadors, and access training and development opportunities with partner organisations. He is in line to complete mental health first aider training and is building his public speaking abilities with a view to teaching or delivering training in the future.  

 

“Joining Youth Voice gives me the chance to meet other young people, to have discussions, and share opinions about the many things that influence us,” says Jefferson, who is 20 and lives in Wandsworth. “I get to be involved in change that affects young people – it is very inspiring.  

“I struggled with the transition into a new country, which limited me as a young person in various ways. I feel like my experience may resonate with other young people migrating to settle in the UK. I want to be helpful to those who are in a similar situation to me years ago and to reassure them that it’s OK to ask for help – lots of people feel the same way.” 

“I think of the areas I struggled with, like mental health awareness, emotional intelligence, and financial literacy. I’d perhaps like to deliver workshops on those topics, or support people with language barriers via training or interpreting,” adds Jefferson, who speaks English, Spanish and Tagalog. 

 

Volunteering has also opened unexpected doors.  “Youth Voice projects are broadening my interests and skills. I’m developing different communication skills and a real interest in working in marketing. It’s win-win: I add my voice to projects that matter to Ingeus and young people, while being around others that I draw inspiration and motivation from. It’s a real learning experience.” 

 

Jefferson balances his work and Youth Voice duties with a range of creative hobbies – particularly dance. Interested in hip hop as a form of self-expression, he’s currently exploring involvement in the dance community.  

 

For now, Jefferson is finding his feet, discovering what energises him, and working towards his ambition to “be that person that I needed the most, for other people.” Through volunteering with Youth Voice, he’s not only speaking out – he’s finding a voice that others can lean on too.