Elliot accessed Cedar in 2023 with the goal of entering the North West Regional College to complete his Access Diploma. With us, he gained support with meeting Learning Link to discuss support needs and ensure all support would be implemented. These steps were put in place to ease any anxiety about the commencement of the course. Elliot's Case Officer, (CO), Sarah, organised pre-visits within the college to develop a sense of familiarisation with the building and facilities that they college offer. Support was also provided to Elliot and his family regarding financial information and during the lead up to his admission we arranged for Elliot to meet with his support worker, funded through the college, to ensure that they were familiar with each other. Elliot commenced his course and continued to meet with his CO to assess continued support and once settled in, they looked at further goals in his action plan such as driving theory and pre employability skills. 

Elliot's dedication to the course really shone through and at his graduation he was awarded an Award for Outstanding Commitment and Achievement in the class of 2025. Elliot had discussed the possibility of university previously and decided that this was something he wanted to pursue. He has an amazing knowledge for history and reading. So, he made the choice to pursue his passion for knowledge  even further. With Sarah he looked a number of courses and decided that he wanted to pursue a degree in History through the University of Ulster, Coleraine Campus. Once Elliot had picked his degree options he was supported with his UCAS application and supported with his personal statement for his application. He received a conditional offer from the University of Ulster and took the opportunity and he wished to pursue there BA (hons in History course. Sarah and Elliot began work on the registration process with him Student Finance NI and completed all the relevant documentation. 

Elliot was further supported to complete his Disability Student Assessment (DSA) albeit with minimal support from Sarah thanks to his increased confidence. Prior to attending university he decided that he would like to live on campus and he currently lives with another student. Elliot has now finished his first semester and in doing fantastically well in his course.

Speaking about his experience with Cedar, he said:

 "Cedar has been a blessing during the time I was with the service, it really helped empower me to face any challenges I faced and to strive to achieve my best. My case worker Sarah was absolutely wonderful to work with and always there if I had any worries or concerns. They worked closely with NWRC and Ulster University to help resolve any issues and put arrangements in place to help reduce stress and anxiety prior and during my courses. This helped immensely in reducing the worry in these big transitional periods. I would recommend Cedar to anyone looking to get out there and achieve their full potential."

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