Footprints has spent the last 21 years helping people restart their lives and give back to the community. Over time, our approaches and projects have grown and developed to tackle changing situations and problems our service users face. However, at the core of our charity, has been the goal of helping people and breaking the cycle of crime.
*Names have been changed
Emily was a victim of modern slavery, resulting in her son's identity being stolen. She was referred to Footprints after receiving a conditional caution for being drunk while in charge of a child under 7. After fleeing an abusive partner, she began living in a safe house and was applying for residential status.
Our staff arranged one-on-one calls over 16 weeks, during which they helped Emily enroll in a language course, and her son enrolled at a nursery. She continued to engage with Social Services and Child Protection Notification. She was focused and working hard to improve her and her son's lives despite her terror that her ex-partner might find her. She was desperate to remain in Bournemouth until her residential status was approved and was deeply remorseful for the incident that led to her caution.
Emily was given time each week with our staff to focus on the positive aspects of life. She was supported to engage with Social Services and the Health Visitor. Soon after, Emily received the news that her son could remain with her and would be starting school soon. At the time her support concluded, she had applied for a passport for her son and was preparing to apply for residential status in January 2026.
We are incredibly proud of everything Emily has done, and we recently received an update from her saying she was granted indefinite leave to remain in February 2026. We wish her all the best as she continues to build a life for herself and her son.
