by Simon Atkinson

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When 16-year-old Vickie was preparing to leave a care home last April, she did not imagine the next step in her troubled life would make such a difference

But after living for a year in the supported lodgings scheme in Nottingham, she felt confident enough to find and move into her newly decorated home.

"I have been in care all my life so at first was a bit hesitant about moving in with Samantha. I didn't want somebody on my back, getting on my nerves, because I'd had enough of that.

"I was worried it would be the same as being in care but when I met Samantha I knew almost immediately it was the right thing to do and decided to give it a go.

"She was there if ever I needed her, but there was no pressure. We got on great and it was the first time in a very long time that I felt settled somewhere.

"In care, there is a lot of chopping and changing. I was moved to different care homes and between foster families and had different social workers so there had been no continuity in my life until then.

"Having that support really helped me at school. I've always wanted to do well in my education but never had the motivation until I moved in with her.

"Now I'm doing some GCSEs and really enjoying them. Before, I would probably have skived a lot of classes but I don't now because I'm a lot more settled. "Cooking was something we enjoyed doing together and I could make what I wanted when I wanted, which I couldn't do in foster care. I really improved and make a good spaghetti bolognese now.	'For the first time, I was doing things normal people do.'

"Samantha taught me to change recipes if we didn't have a certain ingredient or didn't like it. I didn't realise you could do that.

"I wanted to do a hobby that was a bit different so Samantha helped me get involved in climbing and organised some voluntary work for me as well, which helped me get into college.

"For the first time, I was doing things that normal people do. Being in someone's home can be difficult. You're not free to do exactly as you like and there are rules to follow, but life was much better than being in a foster family.

"I had been used to people introducing me as their foster child sister, but there wasn't that awkwardness. Samantha didn't tell anyone I was straight out of foster care.

"A lot of people just think everyone in care are scum - that they have all done this, that and the other so it's all their own fault. Now I can be taken for what I am - not what I have been labelled by the system."

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