What we do
Our work aims to contribute to four key outcomes:
Improving learning, attainment and employability
We support young people so they can learn and attain in, and support their readiness for, the world of work. We believe that all young people want to learn and grow in the right conditions, and support professionals to develop all young people as successful lifelong learners.
Many of these young people are in complex life situations that mean that they are not currently able to positively engage or achieve in educational settings or the workplace. Other young people are talented but need support to fully realise the potential that they have. We provide challenge and support to develop young people’s ability to recognise and realise their own potential.
Click here to view details and examples of programmes that improve learning, attainment and employability
Increasing Wellbeing and Empowerment for Young People in Need
Some young people do not have a sense of self-efficacy, self-belief, or autonomy. Contributing factors include disadvantage, oppression, and marginalisation. We work with young people who experience these difficulties to have a stronger sense of self, of their situation, and their ability to make positive choices. The groups are diverse and include; refugees, sexually exploited young people, young carers, care leavers, and teenage parents. We understand that increasing young people’s wellbeing is complex and may involve other issues. We have developed robust support networks with relevant support agencies within the communities in which we work.
Our work in this area is underpinned by the Maynard’s Empowerment Model (2010) which supports young people to be aware of the choices that they have in the situations that they are in, developing their critical awareness, and ability to act. As a result, they empower themselves.
Click here to view details and examples of programmes that increase wellbeing and empowerment for young people in need
Reducing Offending and Anti-Social Behaviour
We support young people to develop pro-social positive behaviour that serves them and their communities well. The young people that we work with on these programmes can be in situations that place them ‘at risk’ of offending, they may have already offended, been in remand or custody, be involved in anti-social behaviour, or have gang involvement.
Key features of our work to support young people who offend are: long-term engagement, unconditional positive regard, respectful relationships, a focus on attitudinal change, and the identification of positive progression routes. This supports them to ‘break the cycle’; to experience new ways of thinking and acting which can result in more positive outcomes for them. They include diversionary activities, mentoring, assertive outreach, ‘extraction’ from negative community influences, the development of entrepreneurialism, working with families and wider community.
We understand that this is complex and may involve other issues. We have established robust support networks with relevant support agencies within the communities in which we work.
Click here to view details and examples of programmes that reduce offending and anti-social behaviour
Improving Communities: Meeting Local Needs
We support young people in democratic and participatory projects and processes enabling them to become the leaders of communities, businesses and services for other young people. We believe that all young people have the right to shape the services that affect them and the places that they live. We support professionals to view them as experts on their own lives and to engage them in service design and delivery. The young people that we work with may be in a range of communities, including family settings, educational settings, geographical communities, and communities of interest. Our work in this area supports youth led projects, peer mentoring, youth democracy, and capacity building in the voluntary sector.
Click here to view details and examples of programmes that improve communities and meet local needs