Wendy McFaull
SAFEGUARDING and WELFARE MANAGER
On work-life:
“I get to work with the youth safety team, youth workers, student finance, mental health and counseling services and the safeguarding and welfare teams. Everything we do is to keep our students safe and happy in college, to give them the best chance of achieving their dreams. How lucky am I!!!”
“Our students succeed because we are able to level the playing field and help them to have faith in themselves.”
On most inspiring person you have met:
“My inspirations came from my lecturers at college; they shared thoughts and ideas, opened my mind to exploring a different way of looking at the world; I learnt to accept and value people for who they were, to believe that I could challenge some of the negative thinking, stereotypes and language. I had to revisit my own value base and really think about what was important to me and why. I can never thank them enough, and I really hope that teachers realise just how much power they have to influence their students.”
On your safeguarding and welfare career:
“I went to school in Dagenham, and despite loving learning, I was not the most focused pupil and I had no idea what I wanted to do. I spent quite a bit of time being ‘grounded’ at home or ‘in detention’...... It took until I was 20 for me to discover youth work. I began volunteering, then working part time in a youth project before undertaking the first of my degrees in Youth and Community work. I was being paid to do the things I loved and I never looked back. I worked full time, had 3 children of my own, and continued to study. With a diploma in counseling, qualifications in lots of specialist areas and a passion for learning, I took another course and gained a 1st class Honours Degree in Applied Youth Studies.
My career led me to being responsible for youth centres, teams of detached youth workers, an Advice and Information shop as well as disability youth groups, residential and partnership work with other agencies. I knew I was making a difference to the young people I worked with and this motivated me to keep going. Training and supporting new Youth workers became my passion.”
On student progression from your services:
“My hope is that through the work I am doing, students here at NewVIc feel safe and supported. They know where to come to get help, someone to talk to, advice and information, that they are valued for who they are and that my team will do their utmost to pull down any barriers that might be in the way of them achieving. Our students succeed because we are able to level the playing field and help them to have faith in themselves.”