The work of Children's Trusts with Young People on the Edge

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The work of Children's Trusts with Young People
on the Edge Margaret Mary Kelly MBE Director
Crime Concern
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Who are children on the edge?
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The Risk Factors
Childhood harsh erratic discipline substance
misuse low supervision family conflict low income
School school disorganisation disruptive
behaviour lack of commitment low
achievement exclusion
Individual / friends alienation temperament proble
m behaviour anti-social friends
Neighbourhood high crime rate disorganisation hig
h child density lack of opportunity physical
degradation
Adolescence no support unqualified homelessness un
employment substance misuse
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Causal links to youth offending
Educational Failure 90 Family
Conflict 62 Negative Peer Pressure 50
The Variable Impact of Risk Factors
Communities That Care Research 2002
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The well-being of children young people

• physical and mental health
• lack of access to basic facilities

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Protection from harm and neglect

• Young People as perpetrators
• 26 of mainstream Young People committed
  offences in the last 12 months
• 60 for excluded Young People

• Young People as victims
• 46 for mainstream Young People in last 12
  months
• 61 for excluded Young People

• Anti Social Behaviour
• 60 committed by Young People

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Protection from harm and neglect

• Looked after children
• treble the offending rate of other children
• 50 of these in Young Offenders Institutes
• have been or are in Local Authority care

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Education, training recreation

• Young people in custody
• One in four cannot write name and
  address properly
• More than two out of three cannot fill out a
  job application form
• Half have difficulty telling the time

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Adults with poor basic skills

• More likely to
• end up in unskilled / semi-skilled work
• be unemployed more often and for longer
• have children with poor basic skills
• live in overcrowded conditions or be homeless
• have a criminal record

What chance enjoyment!
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OR
Be stakeholders in society
AND
Enjoy social and economic well being
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Behaviour is getting worse
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Childrens Trusts and Vulnerable Children and
Young People

• Partnership working
• Effective communication - information sharing
• Targeted interventions - assessment
• Children - who
• Places - where
• Time - when
• Activities - what
• Dosage

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Childrens Trusts and Vulnerable Children and
Young People
The views of children and young people
themselves Child and family focus
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Childrens Trusts and Vulnerable Children and
Young People
Prevention prevention prevention Early
intervention Build security and self worth Keep
children out of prison
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Current programmes

• Youth Inclusion and Support Panels (YISPs)
• A preventative programme (8 upwards)
• Involves a panel of professional community
  members
• Best use of existing resources
• Coordination of resources
• Key worker available
• Case work approach

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Current programmes
Youth Inclusion Projects (YIP 13-16) Junior YIP
8-13)

• target the most at risk young people
• in the most deprived neighbourhoods
• based on effective, what works, practice
• individual programme of activity
• building of skills
• integration with other young people

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Current programmes
Reduction of offending behaviour Reduction in
school exclusions Increased self worth
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Safer Schools

• Positive partnerships with police
• Wide range of activities within whole school
  approach
• anti-bullying
• conflict resolution
• restorative practices
• positive behaviour strategies
• whole school approach
• leadership and ethos

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Safer Schools Evaluation outcomes

• positive impact to reduce truancy and improve
  exam outcomes
• relationship with children and police greatly
  improved
• greater feeling of safety

but closer links needed between secondary and
primary schools, secondary schools and other
agencies
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Positive Activities for Young People (PAYP)
Holiday time activities for young people inmost
at risk areas Linked to YOTs and YIPs and local
youth services Reductions in crime and youth
offending in targeted areas
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Pru for Youth (Youth Action)

• Example of local partnership supported by
  business centre
• Based on town centre security in
  Prudential owned shopping centres
• Focus on safety, crime prevention and positive
  environmental work
• Strong links to active citizenship and young
  people accountability

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Leaves of Hope for Belarussian Children
And   Llanrumney Youth Inclusion Project
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• Music is an important part of the
• childrens development and allows
• them to express themselves

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Purpose

• To provide the children of the Novinki
  Orphanage with a music room for recreation
  and therapy
• To provide musical instruments and
  equipment

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Purpose continued

• They would develop wider experiences
  outside their normal habitats and in so doing
  widen their appreciation for others needs and
  requirements
• There would be an opportunity for this group
  to be acknowledged within their own community,
  in a positive manner

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Purpose continued

• The young people would gain personal
  development skills and experience the
  difficulties that other young people of a
  similar age face
• The young people involved would develop new
  skills throughout the refurbishment stages,
  which in turn would develop self esteem and
  confidence

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FUNDING

• Everyone involved needed to raise at least
  4000 in total
• The young people were involved in
  organising a number of fundraising events
• Due to the nature of this project the media
  were hard pressed to insinuate that this was a
  holiday for the bad boys

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1st get a portacabin
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But
.vandals strike
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• The Llanrumney Youth Inclusion Project team start
  the basic tasks

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There is great interest from the media
And the BBC start filming
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• The community start to rally round

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• Youngsters from the local Youth Club and Summer
  Splash Scheme become involved, designing the
  Matryoshka to decorate the portacabin

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and local businesses offer their help
CR Electrics rewire the place BCB Survival
Cardiff equipped us for our adventure
and Euro-Clad renew the roof and walls
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The aid is sorted and packed into the portacabin
The crane arrives to load it onto the lorry
and the portacabin begins its long journey
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Four days later the team leaves to join it
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• Stormy seas saw the portacabin stuck in Gdansk
• Customs clearance in Klaipeda was slow
• No travel after dark with wide loads
• Customs Officer at Medininkai would not accept
  clearance from Central Customs

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Despite everything, the portacabin reaches its
final destination
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• Having postponed their return, the team
  frantically tidy up ready for the official
  handover

And everybody lends a hand
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With only minutes to go.
.the last painting is fitted
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The proud team pose for their group photos
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The official handover begins
the speeches are made
and the children perform for the emotional crowd
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We left with seven boys and returned with seven
young men