Feedback received in 2026
July
From the parent of a young person with SEND to a Youth Worker in the SfYP Stevenage and North Herts Team about the Megamix youth work project for young people with SEND
"On behalf of me and my daughter, we would like to say thank you very much for the exceptional job you and your team are doing. You guys have given our children a sense of belonging and a forum to develop friendship and independence. We are truly blessed with you and your team… I appreciate everything you have done and once again thank you immensely for your patience and support."
From the mother of a young person attending the Welwyn Hatfield YouthZone Saturday Project to a Senior Youth Worker in the SfYP East Herts, Broxbourne and Welwyn Hatfield Team
"To all the amazing team – Thank you for all you do, your time, effort and support is really appreciated. My son loves his time here and we are really grateful."
From a student at Broxbourne School to a Youth Worker in the SfYP East Herts, Broxbourne and Welwyn Hatfield Team following her attendance at the Waltham Cross Girls' and Young Women's Project
"I went to the youth [project] yesterday for the first time. It was really good and I had a lot of fun... I think it will do me good and help me a lot with everything going on."
From the mother of a young person attending a youth work project to a Youth Worker (Trainee) in the SfYP St Albans and Dacorum Team
"It is a really great group with the most amazing leaders.”
From the mother of a young person attending a youth work project to a Youth Worker (Trainee) in the SfYP St Albans and Dacorum Team
"My daughter joined the Thursday night girls last week and is keen to come back… which speaks mountains. Please let me know when the next meet is, and I will do everything I can to make sure she gets there. The girls were so kind and welcoming, we are really glad to have found this group.”
From the mother of a young person attending a youth work project to a Youth Worker (Trainee) in the SfYP St Albans and Dacorum Team
"She absolutely loves it and it’s the one thing she looks forward to every week. A huge thanks to you all for all the help and support you’ve given her to increase her confidence, resilience and ability to try new things.”
From the Assistant Headteacher at The Marlborough Science Academy about CEIAG Advisers in the SfYP St Albans and Dacorum Team, regarding their delivery of contracted careers education information, advice and guidance services
"I wanted to say thank you for everything you have done to support us and the school this year. You have been amazing and so accommodating - even when we have blips or suddenly have a request 😊. Our students are very lucky."
June
From the mother of a member of the SfYP Three Rivers Youth Council to a Youth Worker in the SfYP Watford, Three Rivers and Hertsmere Team
"Thank you for the support you and the team continue to offer. My son is thoroughly enjoying his involvement with the Three Rivers Youth Council. He speaks very highly of you all and genuinely values the opportunity to participate in the various projects. Thank you for the positive influence you are having on him at this important stage of his life.”
From the mother of a young person with SEND to a Senior EHCP Coordinator, in the SfYP St Albans and Dacorum EHCP Review Team
“Thank you so much, that is amazing news. I'm happy [to meet] so we can get something in place for my son next year... just so he's not at home every day all day... Will it be yourself dealing with the meetings as you have done so much for us it would be nice going forward to have a regular contact with the same person. Thank you again.”
From a Year 10 student at Stanbrough School, Welwyn Gaden City, to a CEIAG Adviser in the SfYP East Herts, Broxbourne and Welwyn Hatfield Team following a personal careers guidance interview
"Thank you, I really enjoyed our conversation today. You've really helped me understand where I want to go in the future and the steps I need to take to do so. I really appreciate it!"
May
From a young person with SEND who was attending SfYP youth work projects and became a volunteer Youth Support Worker, to the Area Service Manager of the SfYP St Albans and Dacorum Team
"Well I love volunteering for SfYP… gained lots of skills. Thanks for trusting me to volunteer for this role. I’ve learnt, developed and it even helped to shape me into who I am today."
From the mother of a young person with SEND to a Senior EHCP Coordinator, in the SfYP St Albans and Dacorum EHCP Review Team
“This is amazing. Thank you so much for working hard to get this completed in just a week [a placement at MacIntyre No Limits]. I truly, really appreciate your help in getting my son the education I know he will love and gain hugely from. Back with staff he loves. Thank you.”
From a Post-16 Advisor, Virtual School, Hertfordshire County Council, to an Employment and Training Adviser in the SfYP St Albans and Dacorum Team about her support for a young care leaver with SEND
"[This Adviser's] perseverance and genuine commitment have made a real difference to a young person who was initially NEET [not in education, employment or training] and quite reluctant to engage with support. She showed great patience and understanding, taking the time to build trust at the young person’s pace. She never gave up, and through her consistent encouragement and tailored support, she has helped him move forward positively. It’s wonderful to see that, as a result of her efforts, he is now successfully enrolled on a Waitrose work experience programme following her referral, a brilliant achievement and a real turning point for him. I also want to highlight how much I value her communication. In my role as VSPA, I can always rely on her to keep me informed with clear, timely updates, and she is consistently supportive and collaborative in her approach. It makes such a difference, and I am always grateful for her professionalism and willingness to go the extra mile. Her dedication to the young people she supports really shines through, and this piece of work is a great example of the positive impact she has every day."
From the mother of a young person with SEND to an Employment and Training Adviser in the SfYP Stevenage and North Herts Team
"Thank you for all the work you did for us [helping to secure a paid internship for her son]. You were amazing. We wouldn’t be where we are now without you."
From the Deputy Headteacher and Careers Lead at St Albans Girls' School about two CEIAG Advisers in the SfYP St Albans and Dacorum Team, regarding their delivery of contracted careers education information, advice and guidance services
"One of the reasons we are keen to maintain provision with you, are the excellent advisers. Would we be able to request [the two advisers] as they have been with us the most this year? We really value our ongoing relationship with them.”
From the mother of a young person with SEND to an Employment and Training Adviser in the SfYP Stevenage and North Herts Team
"Thank you for all your help in supporting my son and especially just before the interview - it was so helpful for him. He is just starting his online training [for his new job] now."
From a young care leaver who had been out of education, employment and training and was supported to find a job, to a CEIAG Adviser in the SfYP Stevenage and North Herts Team
"Just having someone who you know is looking for opportunities for you and challenging you to look at things from a different perspective helped and motivated me more to find something."
From a student with SEND at Sandringham School, St Albans, to a CEIAG Adviser in the SfYP St Albans and Dacorum Team following a personal careers guidance interview
"I found that meeting very helpful to understand what I want to do after Sandringham. [She] really helped explaining all the stuff to me like what an apprenticeship was and how my EHCP will affect all of it. And she gave me fidgets to help me focus.”
From the Year 8/CLA Safeguarding and Pastoral Support Officer at Ashlyns School, Berkhamsted, to a Senior EHCP Coordinator in the SfYP St Albans and Dacorum EHCP Review Team
“You are wonderful!!!! Thank you for all of your hard work.”
From a young person with SEND to an Employment and Training Adviser in the SfYP Stevenage and North Herts Team
"Thank you for all your support. I really appreciate our appointments as they are helping me to build my confidence and are helping me to find a clear pathway for my future. This is something I have struggled with."
April
From the Assistant Headteacher at Ashlyns School, Berkhamsted, about a Senior CEIAG Adviser in the SfYP St Albans and Dacorum Team, on their delivery of contracted careers education information, advice and guidance services.
"We'd like the same [Adviser] as this year please... for our Pupil Premium/vulnerable students. She is simply amazing.”
From the mother of a young person with SEND who had just joined the Creative Spark youth work project for young people with SEND, to a Senior Youth Worker in the SfYP St Albans and Dacorum Team
"Thank you so much for having my son along this evening, he absolutely loved it and can’t wait to come along on Saturday and next Wednesday too! It was so nice to meet you and some of the other young people. My son said he felt accepted and respected. It was so nice to see him so happy!”
From the parent of a young person completing their DofE Silver Award to the SfYP DofE Manager, after he took over the management of his award and had its completion verified
"Thank you so much for your super speedy actions. Most appreciated. This is amazing speed. What has taken me months to resolve, you have done it in just 2 days of coming to you. Thank you so much! This means so much to us as a family. Our son can now focus on his GCSEs. Thank you once again."
From the mother of a young person with SEND who had been out of education, employment and training, to an Employment and Training Adviser in the SfYP Stevenage and North Herts Team
"He got the job you helped him apply for at Hickory's Smokehouse. He is loving it and they are now looking into putting him on an in-house apprenticeship to train him to be a chef. Thank you for all the help and support you gave him… [you] built up his confidence so he could do this."
From the mother of a young person with SEND in Year 11 at Beaumont School, St Albans, who had not been attending school, to a Senior CEIAG Adviser in the SfYP St Albans and Dacorum Team
"…thank you for arranging the careers call for [my daughter]. She found the session really helpful and motivating which was great to see.”
From the mother of a young person with SEND about an EHCP Co-ordinator in the SfYP St Albans and Dacorum EHCP Review Team
"She was brilliant. She honestly, I can’t tell you… just her input was just absolutely outstanding. She was just so great. I felt supported and I have felt so unsupported and so alone and left.”
From the Elective Home Education Officer at Hertfordshire County Council to a Senior Youth Worker in the SfYP St Albans and Dacorum Team
"I’m getting lots of great feedback from parents about you – huge well done and thank you for all you do. They say you’re great at making them feel welcome and at ease."
March
From the Area Manager (East Region) at the Careers and Enterprise Company to the Enterprise Coordinators in the SfYP St Albans and Dacorum Team
"I just wanted to send a quick email to thank you for your hard work over the first half of this academic year. Hertfordshire was singled out in a CEC team meeting recently for having made excellent progress with the CIS [Careers Impact System]. In particular with your peer to peers, with your figures being among the best in the country. Getting the ball rolling on the CIS can be tough and numbers were low last year in Hertfordshire, so this is a fantastic achievement. This is on top of the brilliant day-to-day work you do to support schools and employers which has kept Hertfordshire consistently at the top of the results table for the East Region, and of course running the excellent Generation events that are always so popular. It's been a busy year already with lots of change and challenge in the careers system. The updated Gatsby Benchmarks coupled with the Government's changes to work experience and higher expectation of quality has created a tough environment, but Hertfordshire continues to rise to the challenges every time. I wanted you all to know that this is not lost on me or the rest of CEC and your hard work does not go unnoticed!"
From the mother of a young person with SEND to a Senior EHCP Coordinator and a CEIAG Adviser in the SfYP St Albans and Dacorum Team
“Thank you for your emails, and thank you so much for your support in getting us to this point. My daughter now has an exciting future ahead of her that we could only have dreamed of a few months ago, and that has been made possible by you all. It has honestly been life changing for my daughter and we couldn't have achieved it without your help and support. I really appreciate all you have done for us. We are so very grateful!"
From the mother of a young person with SEND who was home educated and had been out of education, employment and training to an Employment and Training Adviser in the SfYP East Herts, Broxbourne and Welwyn Hatfield Team who supported her with a work experience placement, job/apprenticeship applications and interview preparation (on the Pathways to Success programme).
“Thank you so much Becci, for all your help. My daughter really likes you and you have helped her so much."
From the mother of a young person with SEND to a Senior EHCP Coordinator in the SfYP East Herts, Broxbourne and Welwyn Hatfield EHCP Review Team after his EHCP was finalised
"Thank you so much for everything you have worked so hard on to secure this [placement at a special school] for my son. We are forever grateful. It will hopefully change his life."
From the mother of a young person who had been missing from education to an Inclusion Worker in the SfYP Stevenage and North Herts Team
"I want to pass on the good news that, since your help in November in reintegrating my daughter back into school, she is doing really well... I am so proud of her and wanted to pass thanks and the news on to you."
From the mother of a young person with SEND to a Senior Youth Worker in the SfYP St Albans and Dacorum Team
"My son has been attending [SfYP youth work projects] weekly on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. It is still early days but along with changes made with college and these groups we have noticed a positive change with his overall mental health. We are continuing to build on these. I would like to thank you for your help and support with recommendations made as these groups are proving invaluable.”
From the mother of a Year 9 student with SEND at Bishop's Stortford High School to a Senior CEIAG Adviser in the SfYP East Herts, Broxbourne and Welwyn Hatfield Team
"Thank you so much for these links… And thank you for meeting with my son and I, and providing us with a really positive, informative info session. Yours is the first session we've experienced that hasn't made an issue of his disabilities and just provided him with options and accessible education pathways without having to meet specified criteria."
From the CHIPS Chair of Trustees to a Youth Support Worker in Charge in the SfYP East Herts, Broxbourne and Welwyn Hatfield Team
"On behalf of CHIPS, can I say a huge THANK YOU to you and all the young people from the East Herts and Broxbourne SEND Youth Council for organising the cake sale and raising the very generous donation of £260.30. We really appreciate your kind support and interest in CHIPS."
From the Community Safety & Safeguarding Manager and Prevent Lead at Three Rivers District Council to the Youth Work Practice Manager in the SfYP Watford, Three Rivers and Hertsmere Team
"Huge thanks for giving your presentation at our annual Community Safety Conference yesterday. So professional, interesting and well delivered as ever!”
From the mother of a young person who had been out of education, employment and training to an Employment and Training Adviser in the SfYP St Albans and Dacorum Team
"We wanted to reach out to say a massive thank you for supporting [my son and I] at a time of need. We found the whole setup to be a welcoming, comfortable and safe environment for my son to attend on his own. The supportive nature of [the Employment and Training Adviser] was incredibly beneficial... and helped him engage in applying for suitable roles. After a very short time, he has been given an opportunity locally which he is very grateful for. He acknowledges that if it wasn’t for her support and encouragement then he would not have secured this position. Sincere thanks.”
February
From a young person who had been out of education, employment and training to an Employment and Training Adviser in the SfYP East Herts, Broxbourne and Welwyn Hatfield Team
“Thank you for all the help you've given me. You've gone into more detail and done more than anyone I've gone to see and I appreciate it. You're amazing. The only reason I managed to go to that open day with confidence is because you got me an interview before, you’ve prepared me on questions I might get and everything. You also just kept me motivated to keep searching and trying to find stuff by just emailing me opportunities and jobs you've found and just kinda giving me a push in real life to get out there. You're amazing at your job and you go above what most people do, so I hope you know that!! You made time for me when I come on the wrong day when you didn't need to. Just wanted to let you know I really appreciate it!"
From a young person who had been out of education, employment and training to a CEIAG Adviser in the SfYP St Albans and Dacorum Team
"But genuinely thanks for [your support and referral]. It’s because of you that I have this [First Rung] course now.”
January
From the mother of a young person who had been out of education, employment and training to an Employment and Training Adviser in the SfYP East Herts, Broxbourne and Welwyn Hatfield Team
“Thank you. My son went home positive and said he would look at courses tomorrow! You are a breath of fresh air!"
From the mother of a young person with SEND, who returned to school after being missing from education, to a Senior Youth Worker in the SfYP Three Rivers Team
"Thank you for all the support and great work you did for [my son] and myself. You are outstanding at your work and so helpful. My son really enjoyed his meetings with you and all you have done for him. You go above and beyond.”
From the mother of a young person with SEND to an EHCP Co-ordinator in the SfYP St Albans and Dacorum EHCP Review Team
"The ECHP is the best one we have had done since we started, so thank you so much for doing this for us. I really appreciate all your help and understanding with me and my health issues."
From the mother of a young person with SEND, to an EHCP Co-ordinator in the SfYP St Albans and Dacorum EHCP Review Team
"Firstly, I wanted to thank you so much again for all that you did for us in the short time between us making contact and my daughter being passed across to a different EHCP Coordinator. I’m so grateful to you for making contact so quickly after my initial email, for making yourself available to speak with me and for all of the information and advice you were able to share… Your contact honestly gave me huge reassurance and meant that I didn’t spend Christmas with the worry of all of this [my daughter leaving Oaklands without us having a plan going forward] on my shoulders. So thank you!.”
From the Designated Safeguarding Lead at the Blue Tangerine Federation (Collett and St Luke’s Special Schools), Hemel Hempstead, to a Youth Worker in the SfYP St Albans and Dacorum Team about the delivery of sexual health sessions at both schools
"I'm just very grateful to you both and your service for taking the time to speak to our students across both sites. Knowing that you have that wealth of insight and knowledge only round the corner so to speak is so reassuring, and liaising with you has been great, so thank you again. Please do pass on my thanks to your colleagues."
From a young person who had been out of education, employment and training to an Employment and Training Adviser in the SfYP St Albans and Dacorum Team
"I just wanted to say thank you for always pushing me when I’ve needed it, and you’ve always been in my corner and helped me when I’ve needed it. I am truly so grateful for everything you have done for me. If it wasn’t for you mentioning apprenticeships, I probably never would have gone into my current job role, which has been the best time of my life. So I just wanted to say thank you, for everything that you have done, I’ll forever be grateful for you!!!"
From the mother of a young person with SEND to a Senior EHCP Coordinator in the SfYP St Albans and Dacorum EHCP Review Team who arranged the personal budget to enable him to access provision which he has not been able to before
“That's amazing thank you so much. I can assure you that this will be so good for my son socially and allowing for some independence as well; I can't tell you how appreciative I am of you actioning this so quickly. 'Thank you' from me and my son.”
