Ishmael is from Bromley. He’s a young man who has been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Special Education Needs (SEN) and Social, Emotional And Mental Health difficulties (SEMH).
He lived in a few countries before settling in south London, where he was referred to our mentoring department after experiencing emotional trauma following exposure to domestic violence.
Ishmael’s story with the Palace for Life Foundation began in March this year when he was paired with Cordell, who works in the mentoring team. Cordell is an experienced Palace for Life Youth Worker and Mentor who’s well-versed in helping people like Ishmael.
When Cordell first met Ishmael, he could tell that he wasn’t in a good place. He had lost interest in his appearance at school, and both his attendance and classroom behaviour were suffering – he felt as if he was just drifting through life.
Ishmael was repeatedly causing low-level problems at school that, when put together, resulted in internal exclusions from school. His attendance and punctuality were poor, he was getting into trouble for not wearing his uniform properly, and was making a habit of skipping his lessons. When he did attend, he found it hard to engage with the topics that were being taught.