Features / Housing
Young people’s support worker nominated for ‘Making a Difference Award’
Tameisha Edwards, a St Paul’s raised support worker has been nominated for the “Making a Difference Award” for her work.
The young people’s support worker has worked in the social care industry for eight years, and has been in her current role at a Warmley-based social housing organisation for the last year.
According to her workplace, the 29-year-old is being recognised for “her exceptional contributions as a support worker, making a significant positive impact on the journeys of the young people she assists.
is needed now More than ever
Feedback from customers highlights her ability to provide a safe, comfortable, and non-judgmental environment, which empowers them to work towards their goals.”
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Tameisha’s main goal in life is to help other young people through difficult times and into long-term safe and secure housing, as well as ensuring all of their needs are met to thrive in life.
Working with 18 to 25-year-olds she sees parallels between her clients and herself.
“My job for me as a young people’s support worker, especially working with care leavers as well, a lot of my approach is person centered, and because I see myself in a lot of them as well.
“I have a similar past to them,” she openly shares with me. Some of the more challenging issues her clients have faced, she too as a youth experienced the same things.
“My own journey and experiences have also been my motivation to help people.” As she says this, she is quick to catch herself by saying “I quickly noticed that at the start, I couldn’t save everyone and it broke my heart.
“But if I could try as much as I possibly can, if I can help just one person, I know I’ve done something good.”
It’s a stark reminder of how never ending the struggles are for those she works with and how multifaceted an individual’s case can be.
Her day-to-day life usually revolves around key work sessions. Those sessions can be in their office or perhaps somewhere which may be more comfortable for them.
She goes through their goals, defining what they want out of those sessions, if it’s a job they will work on a CV or get in touch with a local job centre or careers service.
If it’s their mental health that they need support with, often a chat can help to alleviate some of their stresses somewhat, but they will regularly signpost them to mental health support services local to them or take them to a GP appointment.
There are many internal and external services available that they are in direct contact with to ensure the most successful outcomes for their clients.
While we are discussing serious issues, Tameisha’s attitude and way of speaking is infectious, with a giggle and an energetic inflection in her voice switches the tone and she says: “The aim is just to wrap you up and prepare you and nurture you and put you back into the big world.
“I love my job. It’s very rewarding and I have a good professional relationship with the kids.”
Returning to her earlier statement she reiterates that things do go wrong and by that she means sometimes their help and support isn’t enough or perhaps isn’t for that person at that time.
But when things do go that way, she still feels it deeply.
“When I first started working, I did cry a lot. You’re going to ask yourself, ‘did I try hard enough, did I do that?’
“But now I know that as a support worker, in my conscience if I know that I’ve tried everything with you, I exhausted my resources and if it doesn’t work, then I can just let it go.
“Because, we can’t help someone that doesn’t want help. So, my practice at work is to go above and beyond every single time, and if it doesn’t work, it’s okay.”
Her manager once wisely told her: “Sometimes you might think that you’ve helped the young person because they’re not engaging, but sometimes they might go away with what you’ve said and you might leave an imprint on them.”
A photography exhibition in 2023, Tameisha’s photos are edited to create a film feel
Tameisha tells me she is humbled by the award, but is keen to make even more of a difference through advocating for more housing opportunities and mental health support in Bristol.
“I started in February, it has been harder to find accommodations, but I would say it’s harder to find it because of the fluctuation of available accommodation.”
Even though there is more shared accommodation, appropriate ones for her clients are few and far between. Some don’t allow Universal Credit and others she says, are just too expensive.
“It’s difficult. We’ve got to make sure it’s safe. So you’ve got to do your business risk assessment, because we have a duty of care. I can see rising homelessness everywhere and it’s scary.”
Educating and empowering the future generations to embrace their academic and creative pursuits
“As a support worker for young people, I’d love to see more affordable housing options in Bristol that cater specifically to the needs of young individuals.
“It would be great to have more supportive housing programs that not only provide shelter but also offer resources for education, job training, and mental health support.
“This could really help young people build a stable future.
“Additionally, I think there should be more collaboration between housing authorities and support services to ensure that those transitioning from probation or other challenging situations have access to safe and secure housing.
Tameisha Edwards working with City Academy students
While social work is the main job, this nomination is but one one string in her bow. We’ve met Tameisha before, when she sat down to do ‘My Bristol Favourites’ in 2020, she had just been picked for a worldwide Avon campaign and was at the start of her modelling career.
It was her work as a residential worker, engaging with male ex-offenders in their rehabilitation from prison, that caught the eye of the Avon team.
Alongside her work she has made strides in the fashion and photography industry as a model and creative director.
Modelling for the likes of JD Sports, Ed Hardy, Juicy Couture, London Fashion x British Fashion Council and many more. Although she tells me that she’s reached an age where she prefers to not be in front of the camera so much.
As a photographer and creative director she has shot for New Wave magazine, Elite Modelling Agency and Supa Model Management.
One of the reasons for getting into photography was her own experience as a black model. Often due to the incorrect makeup or photography, darker-skinned models would look “ashy or grey” compared to their lighter-skinned counterparts.
Recently she has combined the mix of passions for art and fashion by facilitating creative workshops aimed at enhancing wellbeing, one of those workshops was at her former secondary school City Academy.
Teaching them how to use cameras, she allowed them to assume the creative director role.
“I went there with the goal to push creativity into schools and to encourage young people to get in touch with their creativity. Because at schools, you find creative pursuits are not nurtured as much as more academic subjects.”
“I would like to carry on adding creativity to foster a sense of belonging and individuality, encouraging self-expression.”
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Looking forward, Tameisha tells me she hopes to continue to inspire young people and care leavers.
“My heart longs for more children to feel truly seen and valued in this world. I wish to create a nurturing community where every child and adult knows they are cared for deeply.
“It’s about fostering an environment that uplifts spirits and empowers individuals to embrace their authentic selves, crafting a legacy of love and support that resonates through generations.”
All photos: Tameisha Edwards
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