A Holistic Approach to Young People and AntiSocial Behaviour: The Signpost Project

1
A Holistic Approach to Young People and
Anti-Social Behaviour The Signpost Project

• Sukky Jassi BSc (Hons), MSc
• Amanda Stevens BA (Hons)

2
Introduction

• Policy Research Institute
• Policy Context ASB
• The Signpost Project
• Conclusions

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Policy Research Institute

• Leading centre for applied social and economic
  research and consultancy
• Clients include Central Government Departments,
  Local Authorities, Regional and Local Development
  Agencies, Regeneration Partnerships
• Multi-disciplinary environment for research and
  evaluation, working to improve policy and
  practice across a range of fields including
• labour markets and skills
• economic development and urban regeneration
• enterprise and SMEs
• local and regional governance
• social inclusion and the third sector

4
ASB

• The Crime and Disorder Act (1998) defines ASB as
  when individuals or groups
• act in a manner that caused or was likely to
  cause harassment , alarm or distress to one or
  more persons not of the same household as the
  defendant

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Key Policy Developments

• Provisions for preventing Youth Offending
  (Crime Disorder Act 1998)
• Recognising the complex nature of ASB Report of
  the Policy Action Team (PAT)8
• Anti-Social Behaviour Act (2003)

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Enforcement vs. Preventative

• ASB and appropriate support
• Young People ASBOs
• Enforcement vs. Preventative Measures The Debate

7
The Signpost Project Model

• Project Team Composition
• Project manager
• Youth Worker
• Educational worker
• Administrative support
• 12 young peoples support
• workers

• Key Principles
• Multi-departmental
• (at Leeds City Council)
• 1 year Pilot project
• Targeting 2 ASB hotspot
• neighbourhoods
• Preventative project
• 9-14 year olds
• Diverting young people
• (through positive activities)

Reduce ASB

• Support Offered
• Accessing leisure and
• recreational activities
• Family
• Educational

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The Signpost Project Ethos

• Working with local agencies in Leeds to get
  referrals (often before enforcement action is
  taken)
• Flexible and individual approach for every case
• Building relationships with the whole family unit
  where appropriate
• Intervention is multi dimensional

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Signpost Key Findings

• Signpost played a very important role in
  supporting young people and families in both
  targeted neighbourhoods
• Activities went beyond planned project objectives
  (e.g. integrating young people back into
  education, family therapy etc)
• Strengthened multi-agency working
• Demand in both neighbourhoods for Signpost to
  continue as they had gained the trust of local
  families

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The Signpost Project Positive Outcomes

• 31 young people (and some of their families were
  supported) by Signpost
• 9 cases closed, 6 of which have successfully
  addressed ASB with the young people
• Involvement with the police has reduced for more
  than half of the young people within 6 months of
  Signpost support

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Implications for Future Projects

• Commitment to funding beyond a one year period
  (too many young people have been involved in
  short-lived projects)
• Preventative work with young people needs to be
  carried out at earlier stages (than 9-14)
• A need for more holistic projects as opposed to a
  one size fits all approach
• Targeting two ASB hotpot areas is not enough to
  eradicate the problem

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Signpost Future

• Initially funding was extended for a six month
  period until March 2006.
• Further funding then secured for another year
  (until March 2007) and the project expects to
  double in size and proposes to cover a wider
  geographic area (inner East Leeds).
• Also considering developing a supported tenancy
  project for the most troubled families which they
  are already working with.
• Aspirations for 2007 include becoming a city wide
  project in Leeds.

13
Conclusions

• Evidence of the value of a tailored, holistic
  approach
• Signpost has provided Leeds City Council with an
  exemplary model in tackling ASB amongst young
  people

14

• Thank you
• s.jassi_at_leedsmet.ac.uk
• a.m.stevens_at_leedsmet.ac.uk