Your Odyssey: A Haven for Hope, Healing and Happiness
A big welcome home
Young people placed at Odyssey have distinct and individual needs. They may have encountered various forms of abuse and the distress of familial breakdown. Many have undergone multiple placement changes, causing upheaval and disruption in their lives. Consequently, there is a crucial need for a secure and consistent approach to deliver high-quality care. Numerous young individuals require specialized assistance with their educational and health requirements. The Odyssey team is dedicated to employing methods that support young people and help them flourish.
Our Unique Approach
Access to Tuition
We provide access to tuition to increase educational attainment. Tutors have enhanced DBS checks and have experience in working with looked after children. This extra support fosters a positive attitude towards learning and enhances opportunities for academic success and future prospects.
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Educating young people is a vital step in their journey to becoming well-rounded adults. By providing them with quality private tuition, we empower young people to develop essential life skills and knowledge. This equips them with the tools needed for personal growth and enhances potential future opportunities. It is an investment in their potential and well-being, helping them navigate the challenges of adulthood with confidence and competence.
Your Odyssey understands the importance of supporting smooth transitions between educational settings when changes occur in their educational pathway. At Your Odyssey, education is a priority, we are committed to working with young people’s individual education plans.
Growing through creativity
Your Odyssey supports creative expression to understand trauma via: Art therapy, Musicians and Lyricists, Music Production, Spoken Word artists and the Dramatic Arts.
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Creative Arts provides a therapeutic and empowering basis for young people in our care to express themselves, cope with challenges, build self-esteem and develop important life skills. It’s a powerful tool for healing, providing a sense of accomplishment and personal growth during difficult circumstances.
We’ve observed how many young people are drawn towards the creative arts, going on to have successful careers in these fields. Your Odyssey plans to establish and curate a Gallery and Performance venue where Young People can perform, display and even sell their work.
Therapeutic Support For Residents and Staff.
Our support and supervision includes regular access to Therapeutic Clinicians and Therapeutic group work for staff and residents.
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When placed at Your Odyssey, young people will benefit from the therapeutic group work providing a supportive space for emotional exploration and peer connection. It fosters empathy, communication, and a sense of belonging, aiding socialization and interpersonal skills development.
Through sharing experiences, young people learn coping strategies, problem-solving skills and emotional regulation techniques.
Peer feedback and validation enhance self-esteem and confidence. Our structured environment helps young people navigate challenges and develop resilience, preparing them for success in both the home and broader life contexts.
Your Odyssey staff have access to therapeutic group work which enhances their professional skills, team cohesion, and job satisfaction. It offers insights into residents needs, reduces burnout, and empowers staff to better support and advocate for the children in their care.
Reconnecting Young People
At Your Odyssey, we provide a unique offering and sector leading program designed to support young people with Re-Connecting to key people in their lives. One of our founders led and delivered this highly successful initiative for an inner London Local Authority. This program is based on the Department of Education’s funded and evaluated 3-year trail, Lifelong Links.
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Many children lose important family connections and friendships due to the instability of being moved through multiple placements. Establishing supportive relationships enhances their identity and self-esteem, increasing informal support. Children and Young People who participated in Life Long Links were more stable (emotionally and behaviourally) in their placement leading to longer placement stays.
Lifelong Links will enhance the quality of care by focusing on relationship-building, individualized support, continuity, long-term planning and empowerment, ultimately benefiting the well-being and prospects of young people.
Each child's situation is unique and Lifelong Links provides personalized support tailored to their needs. This individualized approach helps children navigate complex family dynamics and establish connections that are beneficial and safe.
Follow the link here to view the DofE evaluation report.
Sports and team spirit.
Your Odyssey understands the importance of actively encouraging and supporting Young People in their recreational activities, promoting leisure, sport, team-building and group activities to imbue those in our care with motivation, self-esteem and confidence.
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All young people have access to the Internet but access is made as safe, legal, and age appropriate as possible. During school vacations, holidays and outings will be planned with the young people.
Each young person’s birthday will be celebrated according to the wishes of the individual. Some will find birthdays very difficult, and we will discuss with them the most appropriate way to mark the occasion. If it is possible, we will try to arrange a family contact visit for the young person, should they wish for us to do so.
Your Odyssey celebrates the diversity of each religious tradition represented but also acknowledges a young person’s right to be atheist. Your Odyssey is proactive with its links to local religious groups and local ministers of religion and seek their advice where appropriate to ensure that any links made by the young people are safe.
