How we work - Our values
We have committed to ensuring that our values are central to everything we do.
Young Roots works to support young refugees through services and activities developed for and with young people. We prioritise diversity, equity and inclusion, we celebrate and centre our work on young people's strengths and potential, and we empower young people to share their unique voice, perception, and experiences.
Our vision leads us to collaborate with expert local organisations providing psychological support, counselling, housing and legal advice to young refugees, as well as playing an active role within the refugee sector.
Diversity, Equality, Inclusion
One of our most important values is Inclusivity. We believe we have an important role to play in addressing societal inequities. We value diversity and we strive to be inclusive. This affects all aspects of our work, including our work with young people, our team and our wider strategy. We want people from diverse communities and identities, and particularly those with lived experience of the asylum system, to participate in all parts of the organisation, and for everyone to have a positive experience at Young Roots.
We have a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, made up of staff and trustees, which guides and scrutinises our work in this area. The Committee has developed a strategy and meets regularly to oversee its implementation and hold us to account for progress. This includes plans to diversify our team of staff, trustees and volunteers, and to provide tailored support so all members of the team thrive. It includes measures to ensure that our services are inclusive and are meeting the diverse needs of the young people with whom we work. And it includes plans to ensure that young people who use Young Roots’ services have power and influence across the organisation.
Youth participation
Another of our key values is Empowerment. We believe in the unique strengths of each member of staff and each individual young person. We trust our team to act autonomously and transfer power to give young people more decision-making power within the organisation, to build their autonomy, independence and agency.
We make better decisions when we involve the young people who use our services. That’s why young people make decisions about which activities we run at youth clubs, where we go on trips, how we spend pots of money and who we employ. We also work alongside young people to identify the practical challenges they face and support them to take a leading role in solving the problems in their lives, whether that’s enrolling in college, accessing healthcare or progressing their immigration case. Our volunteering programme means that young people work on reception, run activities and do planning at our youth clubs. In our policy and campaigning work, we are working with young people to identify our policy priorities and positions and to call for change. Through our bi-annual surveys and regular informal gathering of feedback, young people evaluate our work, and help us improve. We are proud of our strong trusted relationships with young people, built through working directly with them every day of the week, which is absolutely key to young people having the confidence to take part in decision-making and be open with us.
This approach, with meaningful youth participation driving our work, not only means that we run services that young people want and which best meet their needs, it also gives young people skills, confidence and power over their own lives, when it can often feel that they have none in the UK’s oppressive asylum system.
Young Roots recognises and values young people’s unique needs, skills, strengths, and dreams for the future. Most young people we work with speak multiple languages and have an impressive knowledge of geopolitics. We support them to advocate for themselves and build their own set of tools to achieve their goals and ultimately realise their dreams.
If you are a young person, please read the following statement:
Human-rights based: dignity, respect & equity
Young Roots believes that everyone is entitled to the rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and other international agreements. We believe young people are entitled to dignity, respect and equity, and that our work is not an act of charity, but about ensuring young refugees can access and enjoy their rights and entitlements.