I’m 12, nearly 13, and I’d like to work to help my mum+dad. I’m told they can’t hire me because I’m not 14, but I will in a couple of months’ time. Are things that rigid that I cannot start even if I’m nearly the legal age? Even in a supermarket as warehouse worker they won’t take me. I don’t understand how 2 months can make that much of a difference!

I have no experience in social work but I’d like to try my hand at it. I’m in my mid 40s and have just come out of a turbulent period at home with a troubled teenager. Had it not been thanks to the help of a support worker the complicated period we’ve gone through would have been a lot more wearing than it already was. I was able to learn a lot from the professional that led us through and I’d love to be able to do the same for others now that we’re over it and after learning so much about how to handle it-