about us

ADELPHI – ADULTING, TOGETHER™

Built from lived experience, designed for change.

Guidance that feels like family.

Adelphi is a digital platform with a human heart - designed to support care-experienced young people as they take their next steps into independence.

Rooted in lived experience, our mission is to build skills, confidence, and connection so that independence never has to mean doing it alone.

OUR STORY

Adelphi exists to bridge the gap between the system and independence, guiding care-experienced young people as they take their next steps forward.

For many, the transition out of care happens early and suddenly. The systems that support them often feel formal or impersonal, and the networks others rely on simply aren’t there. What’s missing isn’t another formal service — it’s a sibling figure.

That’s what Adelphi means. Derived from the Greek word for sibling or of the same womb, Adelphi represents guidance that feels familiar, understanding, and safe.

We’re here to help people build confidence, learn real-world skills, and create a life that feels their own.

Our work blends first-hand lived experience with professional expertise - combining empathy with structure. We believe that independence shouldn’t have to mean isolation, and that with the right support, everyone can thrive.

Why it matters

  • Group of six young people posing outdoors near a river or waterway, with modern buildings in the background, during daylight.

    33,000+

    Young people left care in England - often expected to live independently from as young as sixteen.

    (Source: Department for Education, 2023)

  • Top-down view of a shared workspace with multiple laptops, smartphones, notebooks, coffee cups, and various small items on a wooden table, with people working and using their devices.

    1 in 3

    Are not in education, employment or training (NEET) within 12 months of leaving care.

    (Source: Department for Education, 2023)

  • 1 in 4

    Experience homelessness or housing instability within two years of leaving care.

    (Source: National Audit Office, 2023)

  • Empty multi-level indoor atrium with staircases and surrounding walkways, no people present.

    ≈25%

    Of the adult prison population have spent time in care.

    (Source: Prison Reform Trust, 2022)

  • Two hands reaching towards each other in a conceptual or artistic setting.

    45%

    Of looked after children - and 72% in residential settings - experience a diagnosable mental health disorder.

    (Source: Barnardo’s, 2022 — “Neglected Minds”)

  • A brick wall with a large white question mark painted on it and a street sign reading 'Smith Street' at the bottom left corner.

    Aged 16–25

    Current statistics only represent care leavers who remain “in touch” with Local Authorities - meaning many young adults navigating independence go uncounted and unsupported.

    (Source: Department for Education, 2023)

  • Every year, thousands of young people leave care in the UK - many stepping into adulthood long before their peers.
    Within twelve months, one in three are not in education, employment or training (NEET), and one in four will experience homelessness or housing instability within two years.
    The Prison Reform Trust reports that around a quarter of the adult prison population have spent time in care.

    Behind each of these statistics is a story of transition, resilience, and the urgent need for connection and opportunity.

  • Beyond those early years, care-experienced adults aged 22–25 continue to face long-term barriers - from stable housing and employment to emotional wellbeing and financial security.
    The National Audit Office (2023) links many of these challenges to gaps in early life-skills education and limited ongoing guidance.

    For many, independence arrives suddenly and without structure. Without consistent support, even small everyday tasks can feel overwhelming - not because of a lack of ability, but because they’ve had to learn alone.

  • The Barnardo’s “Neglected Minds” report found that 45% of children in care — and 72% in residential settings — experience a diagnosable mental health disorder, compared to 1 in 10 in the general population.

    These figures reveal the depth of emotional need that often goes unseen, and the importance of stable, human-centred support that feels safe and familiar.

    Because when guidance works - when it feels like family - everything changes.

  • It’s important to recognise that official data from the Department for Education only represents care leavers who are still “in touch” with their Local Authority.
    Thousands of others fall outside those figures - often due to trauma, loss of trust in authority, or simply the realities of surviving on their own.

    Many disengage not because they don’t want help, but because previous systems haven’t always felt safe, consistent, or understanding.

These numbers tell a story - but so do the successes that follow when support works.

With the right connection, the right knowledge, and a sense of belonging, care-experienced young people achieve extraordinary things.

Adelphi exists to make that the rule, not the exception.

The Founder’s Story

Woman with long wavy brown hair smiling, holding a white mug in a cozy indoor setting with plants and shelves in the background.

  • Adelphi was founded by Bethaney Dixon, a business specialist who grew up in the UK care system.

    After a journey through care and a brief period of homelessness at seventeen, Bethaney dropped out of college just before turning eighteen to work full time. With no safety-net and bills to pay, she began working in customer service - learning quickly that communication, consistency, and resilience would become her greatest strengths.

    By eighteen, she had moved into sales, discovering a talent for connecting with people and understanding what drives them. Those early experiences shaped a career that took her into leadership, learning & development, and business strategy roles - supporting teams and organisations across multiple sectors and countries.

    Through every chapter, one truth kept resurfacing: you don’t know what you don’t know.

    To this day, there are still small, surprising things to learn - the kind of everyday knowledge many take for granted because they learned it naturally within family homes. For those who grew up in care, those lessons often come later, independently, and with courage.

    That understanding became the heart of Adelphi; helping people build the skills and confidence to move beyond the past. Because while your experience is part of your story, it’s not the whole thing.

    Bethaney built Adelphi to provide guidance that feels like family: practical, empathetic, and rooted in the belief that every young person deserves to feel capable and connected.

Want to be part of what’s next?

Adelphi is built on collaboration — between lived experience, research, and the professionals driving change.

If you’re interested in working with us, partnering on future initiatives, or learning more about what’s coming next, we’d love to hear from you.

Contact Us