From seeking support to driving change: Olivia's journey

What kind of challenges were you facing when you came to OPFS?

I had just changed over from legacy benefits to Universal Credit so there was a big change in my income, and my mum and I were also facing eviction from her house. But being a young parent was quite hard as well.

What impact did being part of an OPFS group specifically for young parents have on you?

I really benefited from being a part of a group focused on young parents only and their kids because you can all kind of relate to each other. You’re all similar ages, you’re all going through the same things. In my group there were people from all different walks of life and cultures. I still speak to some of the parents from that time — I’m still really good friends with them now.

It was a big change putting Bryn [daughter] into the creche because I had never done that before. But it was quite good just to get those couple hours where I could speak to other parents. I remember learning self-defence moves in a workshop, which was quite good, especially if you’re a woman on your own. There was another thing called ‘Smart Gym’ where you could do a gym class and there was a creche provided. It was quite good just to be able to go without the kids and focus on your fitness and wellbeing. There was also help building that bond with my daughter and generally doing stuff for myself as well.

They got people from the local college just to talk about future goals.  I would say even just the social aspect of that was really good as it helps you to think about what you want to do in the future.

OPFS supported me by doing a benefit check, and they helped me with a food bank referral. I was also supported to transfer my mum’s house to my name.

Do you feel like your confidence changed during that process?

Definitely. When I went to the group, I had just had a baby and wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. Going to the group opened up different ideas. I liked what Marie, the group leader, was doing and I felt like that was something I could also do. That experience gave me the confidence to go and apply for college, where I went on to study Health and Social Care for two years.

How did you end up working at OPFS?

I had kept in touch with Marie. She told me there was a job role coming up for a peer support worker on the young parents programme and suggested I should go for it because I’d had the experience of being a young parent and I’d been in the group myself. I didn’t know if I was ready. But I spoke to one of the employability advisors and she put me at ease and really encouraged me, and then I just put in the application.

It was so different being a young parent attending the group to helping to run it.  You see it from a different side. You don’t realise how much work goes into it.  It was quite hard to change from being the young parent, like being friends with everybody to then being a worker because you can’t have the same relationships with the people that you were once in a group with and I kind of struggled in that way. Because I was the same ages as some of the girls on the programme, I felt like they thought like I was like a friend which obviously was great but sometimes they would overshare and then I would have to say something. So sometimes it was that kind of barrier but you have to get over that because you’re more of a professional now.

You started off supporting young parents and then your role changed. Tell us about that.

I was getting more interested in the benefits side of things. OPFS had set up a crisis team. I’d always been at welfare rights appointments with my mum when I was younger and she was a single parent, and I always remember her getting dead frustrated with the welfare rights workers.

We were looking at the person as a whole, not just their finances, but also their mental health and barriers like domestic abuse or establishing routines with their kids. I learned about charitable grants, too. Now I’m a welfare rights worker, I have all that other knowledge to support clients more than the average welfare rights worker.

You were also involved in campaigning on Universal Credit for young parents. How did this happen?

Yeah. I was helping to run the young parents group and explaining that if you move from legacy benefits to Universal Credit, there’s a massive deduction if you’re under 25. A a lot of them didn’t know. I got involved in the campaign OPFS was running to highlight this discrimination. I also shared my story with the media, which was quite nerve-wracking, but I think it was important for me to be the voice for other young parents like me and for them to read about it.

What are your thoughts on the fact this still hasn’t been changed?

It needs to be changed. Young parents are the most disadvantaged and get very little support. When they’re employed, they get paid less too. Even just that extra bit of income could help pay a bill or get nappies. There is no difference between over 25 and under 25 when you are a single parent.

You’re leaving OPFS for a job with Glasgow City Council. What will you be doing?

I’m going to be a welfare rights advisor, working with social work clients. I’ll be working with older adults and couples too, not just single parents. I’m really excited.

How will your OPFS experience help you in this new role?

I can really relate to a lot of people. I grew up in poverty, in one of the most deprived areas of the UK. Life hasn’t been easy. I’ve had to work hard to get where I am. I’ve built up knowledge on the crisis team that will help me adapt my style to each individual.

Does your daughter know you’re changing jobs?

Yeah. I told her I was applying for this big job and that I was nervous. She wrote a note for Santa Claus: ‘please let my mummy get this job’. I’ve kept that wee note. When I told her I got it, she was excited, though probably more excited about going to Breakfast Club!

What would you say to other single parents who are feeling unsure about what they can achieve?

Being a single parent isn’t the end of the world. I’ve been able to do everything I’ve wanted to do and I’m single. You need the right support network, and you can’t be scared to ask for help.

If you want to go for something, do it. There are single parents doing degrees, working, buying their own houses. Just keep going, work hard and hopefully you’ll get to where you need to be.