Good Idea: Therapy takes drama out of the transition from care

Name: Dramatherapy for care leavers

Provider: Young Futures

The prospect of leaving care is often a daunting one for many young people making the transition to independence, but a London-based community interest company is using the art of dramatherapy to help those struggling most to make the move.

Dramatherapy – a creative psychological therapy – is used by various organisations, including the NHS, to help clients think creatively about their problems, and Young Futures is using the technique to help 16- to 21-year-olds leaving local authority care placements to develop the emotional resilience required to develop successful adulthoods.

Kelly Jordan, lead dramatherapist at Young Futures, says the nine young people she works with at any one time are often in a vulnerable position when they are referred to the service by their local authority.