Routes here: written by 1625 colleagues

In celebration of Refugee Week (16 – 22 June 2025), we interviewed some of our colleagues from our Asylum and Refugee team who work with young refugees and asylum seekers. 

Olivia* 

How long have you been working with 1625 independent people? Just over 3 years 

What did you do prior to this?  

I worked as a support worker for Unseen. This involved working with adults who were identified as victims of human trafficking and modern-day slavery. Before I joined 1625, I also trained to be a person-centred counsellor. 

What is your role and briefly what does it involve?  

I work within the Asylum & Refugee Team as an Intensive Support Worker.  I support three young people in a three-bedroom flat. I also support five young people who live in the South Glos area. My role involves a lot, including; advocating for young people, and liaising with social workers, solicitors, health centres and colleges. I also offer day to day support to young people to help them build independent living skills and to understand what life in the UK is like. 

What are the nationalities of the young people you have supported? I work with young people from Afghanistan, Iran, Sudan and Brazil. 

What are the best bits of the work you do? I love building relationships with young people and seeing them learn, grow and make positive decisions that help them prepare for their future. 

What are the challenges? A big challenge is supporting young people through the asylum process. This can be a difficult time for young people. Another challenge of the role is when you see some young people not engaging with college which will have an impact on their future opportunities. 

Memorable moments;  

Seeing a young person save up their own money to pay for their driving lessons and driving test.  

Seeing a young person released from a detention centre after a huge amount of advocacy and support and who is now accessing legal advice from one of the best legal firms in the UK. 

*Name changed for privacy