Isla, Masie, Isla and Rebecca from Sendscope were nominated by Rachel Unsworth for their fantastic commitment towards our We Empower programme!

SENDSCOPE is an Independent Special School offering full-time bespoke placements for young people aged 11 to 14 years. Placements are designed to support neurodivergent young people and their families with the transition from primary to secondary education, with some students reintegrating into mainstream education and others being offered permanent full time special school placements.

Rachel said: ‘During the first session, it was immediately obvious to see that the girls were quite quiet and reserved, struggling with social and psychological barriers. Throughout the sessions, I created a safe and positive space for the girls to share their vulnerabilities and things that they find challenging. A common thread that was identified amongst all of the girls was struggling with body image and confidence. From this, we then had open discussions about ways that the girls could improve their perception of themselves and think more positively about themselves. I challenged the girls to step outside of their comfort zones through tasks such as public speaking and delivering presentations, and I helped to highlight and break down stereotypes and societal pressures on women and girls.

I believe that the girls deserve this award as at the end of the programme, Isla, Masie, Isla and Rebecca took part in a photography trip to Vessel Studio’s – a large commercial photo studio - and they were the models. Before the session, the girls made placards containing inspirational and positive messages about themselves and being a powerful girl that they brought with them to the shoot. During the session at the studio, the girls fully embraced the experience and took a massive step outside of their comfort zones. They encouraged and supported each other throughout which resulted in all the girls having multiple individual as well as fun group pictures taken. Before the planned shoot, their teachers and I were sceptical and unsure on how much the girls would participate in having their pictures taken due to the attitudes and beliefs about themselves that they had shared with us throughout the programme, as well as having special educational needs and disabilities. But they completely exceeded our expectations! Throughout the session and afterwards, they were all smiling and enjoying themselves, giving each other compliments and positive words of support whenever any of them felt nervous or unsure of themselves. Intentionally or not, they all contributed to creating a positive and safe space for each other to step outside of their comfort zones, try something new, and change the way that they view themselves and each other for the better. From the feedback that I have received from the teachers, it sounds like the girls are still promoting these attitudes towards each other and themselves and helping to create a more positive environment in the school.

Tegan Hubbard, a teacher at Sendscope, gave me the following feedback on the difference that the We Empower sessions have made on the girls.

"One of the greatest challenges that the girls identified at the start of their programme was struggling with body image, confidence and being happy with themselves when they look at pictures. After working with Rachel for only a few weeks, the girls took the opportunity to share their insecurities aloud and also discuss their personal interests and personal targets. As they showed their vulnerabilities, it opened up a culture of support and empowerment between the group where they filled the room with compliments, sharing with each other what made them unique and special and lifted each other up. As a group of neurodivergent students, it is very easy for the girls to be very critical of themselves and have low self-esteem and anxiety - even more so than their neurotypical peers. Fast forward to after their project and photoshoot and the girls are a force to be reckoned with!! The girls surprised everyone with their confidence, resilience and powerful attitudes when they arrived at their empowering photoshoot. Staff that accompanied them witnessed the students come together as a team of young, strong and confident women who were proud to be themselves as they encouraged each other to take to the spotlight. I have overheard the girls challenging stereotypical comments made by others, sharing things that they admire about themselves and each other as well as being involved in more activities such as sports, make up therapy and class discussions. This huge change in confidence and self-esteem levels would not have happened without the work done during the programme and I firmly believe that the students would still be in the same mindset as they were prior to working with Rachel. The We Empower programme has been revolutionary and the outcomes are testament to Rachel creating a safe, nurturing and honest environment where the students felt understood and not judged.”