Break's Passport to Work Programme

Break supports children in care and young care leavers throughout Cambridgeshire and the wider East Anglia region. The charity operates children’s homes and foster placements, and offers supported housing for people over 18 as they transition out of care. Break helps young people who have experienced trauma manage challenging emotions and build trusting relationships by offering nurturing homes, mental-health support, and opportunities for positive new experiences.

Passport to Work

In 2024, Break were awarded a grant of £9,000 through the UKCF’s Care Leavers Programme, to run their Passport to Work project.

Providing care leavers with a structured three-stage route into employment, Break’s Passport to Work project gave each young person tailored support in settings where they felt safe and understood.

This personalised approach helped them progress at their own pace and take up opportunities within the community.

By offering a wide range of experiences, the project reduced the barriers they faced, encouraged positive participation, and built the confidence and practical skills they needed to be ready for work.

The three-stage Passport to Work programme supported 26 young care leavers to move towards sustainable employment:

Stage 1 – Building basic skills

Young people attended monthly wellbeing sessions to develop social and communication skills and support their mental health. Transition workers helped care leavers establish positive habits, like timekeeping and routines, and complete practical tasks such as preparing clothing for work or interviews.

Stage 2 – Opportunities and preparation

Care leavers explored career options and accessed work-experience tasters, employer visits, and college appointments, with transition workers providing guidance and support. They received help with CVs, interview practice, and hands-on hospitality training through Break’s mobile café, CoffeeBreak. As confidence grew, young people progressed to external and public-facing work experience, building practical skills and community connections.

Stage 3 – Work-ready and in employment

Work coaching supported young people to manage workplace pressures, cope with setbacks, and succeed in interviews, placements, and new jobs. Transition workers bridged gaps with employers, practised workplace conversations, and reinforced key habits such as timekeeping and presentation, helping care leavers feel confident and supported in everyday working life.

Clare’s story

At the start of the project, Clare (not her real name) was not in a good place with her studies. She was taking a lot of time off from college and was lacking motivation. She had health problems and worries that were impacting her education.

Clare was assigned a transition worker who worked closely with Clare, understanding her motivations and helping her identify what career she would like to pursue, and supporting her to focus on the steps she needed to take to achieve her goal.

Clare decided she wanted to study childcare to fulfil her ambition of becoming a nanny, but she was lacking in confidence and experience. She asked Break to help her get experience, which she gained through a voluntary work placement at a children’s charity. The Improving Lives grant paid for smart clothes, which she wore for the voluntary work. She found the work experience challenging but enjoyable, and through it, she learned the new skills she needed to progress with her studies.

Clare applied to study for a degree, succeeded in gaining a place on an early childhood course and recently finished college with three merits and an award for her efforts.

“
The improvement I have seen is that her confidence has grown so much. She has told us that Break has been a tremendous support in providing her with life skills and emotional support. Clare praises Break highly and would like to give back to Break in recognition of the support she has had.
”
Transition Worker
Break

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