Duncan Williams

What do you do at Carefree?

I am a lead youth worker at Carefree, this means I am responsible for setting up a range of different groups for the two age groups (this are 11-17 and 16-25) and making sure everything has been completed. 

Young people’s voice are at the core of what we do here at Carefree and helps shape what we deliver.  I love listening to young people’s voice and getting to know them for them and not what I read. I like having a good understanding of what activities each individual likes so I can plan my sessions to try to suit everyone.

I help young people to meet other young people 

What do you like about working at Carefree?

I like working here at Carefree because being care experienced, family has sometimes been a very difficult subject to talk about and this is normal and okay. However, here at Carefree it feels like a big safe family where everyone is accepted.  The young people and also my colleagues I work with are incredible. 

I also love working here at Carefree because you get to work with such amazing people. What’s so amazing is that each person is unique and offers something different. This is where the magic happens, because people get put in to groups where they have to work with other young people they wouldn’t necessary work with. We all build many different skills during our time at carefree. 

I learn so much and I develop my skills as a youth worker every time I work with a new person.  This all comes down to being able to build trust with young people and your colleagues. 

Being able to go on a journey with people and make positive memories here at Carefree has to be the best!  When young people and staff say stuff like “do you remember” “that was such a great day”. They are positive memories that will stick with me for a long time.

Can you say a bit about your past experience and qualifications?

Growing up i was taken in to care. So I have knowledge and an understanding of what it is like to be in care. This is why Carefree is so close to my heart and I love working here.

During secondary school I wasn’t expected that many grades above C as I found school difficult. Despite people saying I wouldn’t get many grades above C, I came out with 9 out of 12 GCSEs and OCR qualifications above C. Carefree have also supported me to do numerous amounts of training and develop no just my youth work skills but me as a person.

What do you enjoy doing when you are not working? 

When I’m not working, I like to switch off from work and go walking or running along the countryside. I also really enjoy spending time with my partner and my two little French bulldogs and making memories with my little family. 

Also, I like spending time on my own watching different sport events on TV. I’m a big football fan and I always try to watch every single Chelsea game. 

Finally, I enjoy meeting up with my friends and occasionally play some golf and go for lunch after.