Mohammad is 16 and speaks very little English. He had been given indefinite leave to remain in this country when he arrived in 2003 from Sri Lanka to be with his elder brother. After meeting with him for the first time, I felt anxious as I realised the enormous task of communicating with him effectively. I decided to arrange our next appointment with a Tamil speaking translator from the local refugee centre.

Through the translator, Mohammad explained that a short while after he had arrived in England his brother had been murdered. He had been given no support from social services as he had been taken in by a family friend, who soon after had been unable to provide him with full-time accommodation or give him any money.

Mohammad had applied for benefits as he was unable to support himself due to his age and lack of ability to speak English. He received a letter of refusal and unbeknown to him, he had signed a statement that said that he was fully supported by the family friend.

I could see that we needed to organise some financial support for him as a matter of priority so he could obtain housing before hopefully starting in education in September.

I was concerned that although Mohammad was estranged from his family at the age of 16, he had been denied any financial support. I decided that having the translator with me was an opportune time to visit the social security office to make enquiries.

When we arrived, I expressed my disappointment that Mohammad had been asked to sign a statement when it was obvious that he could not understand English. I explained that he was no longer supported by the family friend and that he had been asked to leave his home. Because he is estranged from his family and any other support they agreed to allow Mohammad to re-apply for income support.

When I left Mohammad I felt a sense of relief for him and I felt proud that I had been able to help him. Although I have only begun to help, I felt that being there for him has given him some hope for the future.