'Every city needs a New Futures Project' - student Chengo reflects on her placement with us

Chengo (third from left) with some of our latest intake of placement students.

We offer placements to social work undergraduates from universities in Leicester and further afield.

Working under the supervision of qualified social workers, they spend 70 to 100 days with us, directly helping the women and young people we support.

 We are very proud of this programme. It gives our students invaluable real-life work experience, as well as practical day-to-day help for our clients.

The students tell us being confronted with the realities of our clients’ lives – including the corrosive effects of homelessness, debt, substance use, mental ill-health, sexual abuse, domestic violence or sex work – has a profound effect on them.

Chengo Chanda, a second-year social work student at the University of Derby, completed her 80-day placement with us a couple of weeks ago.

It was an emotional day and, like so many others before her, the experience here has cemented her determination to make it as a social worker.

To begin with though, the project was something of a mystery to her.

"I'm in Derby so I knew nothing at all about New Futures before I came here," she says. "I was asking 'where is it? What does it do?'

"I was very excited when I saw it supports women and girls who have experienced rape or sexual assault, trafficking, homelessness or substance misuse.

"I was very happy to come here. It's been a steep learning curve and I've really liked that. I have learned so much in the time I've been here."

Chengo has worked closely with 10 to 12 clients throughout her time with us. Our students also work in our drop-in, supporting the many vulnerable women who visit it.

"There have been some difficult days," she says, "but I knew it was going to be challenging here and that it would test me.

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"You might have a client on the phone telling you they want to kill themselves, or someone who is passing out because of something they've taken.

"You learn to understand you are there to help women when they are feeling emotional, sometimes aggressive, because of the things they are going through.

"This is a very special place. The women who come here know the people here will listen to them and do their best to help them.

"They know they can trust the New Futures Project and confide in the people here, particularly Della and Avril. (Ed: Della is our director, and Avril our crisis support manager)

"I didn't know how much I would appreciate hearing a client thank me for being there and doing everything I could to help them.

"When I was applying to university, I wasn't really certain what social workers do. There was a point in my first year when I asked myself 'should I switch to another course?'.

"All I knew was that I wanted to do something that would help people.

"Coming here on placement has shown me I can have a real impact on people's lives when they really need it.

"In every city there's a lot of people who have been left behind and nobody is vouching for them. They have been through horrible times and society sees them as outcasts.

"Every city needs a New Futures Project."

Della said: "It has been amazing having Chengo on placement with us.

"She is a very special person who, from the beginning of her placement, demonstrated she fully  understands the impact of poverty and oppression.

"She has supported the people on her caseload exceptionally well and it has been such a pleasure to work with someone who is so politically and emotionally aware.

"I hope she stays in touch. The world needs more Chengos."

The New Futures Project offers a comprehensive welfare and counselling service for women and young people dealing with sexual abuse or exploitation, domestic violence, trafficking, poverty and debt, substance use or mental ill-health.

Call us on 0116 251 0803 or send us a message at: info@new-futures.org.uk

You can find us at 71 London Road, Leicester, LE2 0PE.