Annual Conference Family Focus – Young People, their Families and the Criminal Justice System St Giles Trust Children and Families Project London
Mar 31, 2015
Annual ConferenceFamily Focus – Young People, their Families
and the Criminal Justice System
St Giles Trust Children and Families Project London
St Giles Trust – St Giles Trust – CAFE CAFE
Children and Families Project London
Workshop FormatWorkshop FormatA presentation
Questions and discussion, mainly focused on asking how we can deliver effectively to young offenders and their families with an integrated service
No interpretive dance or role play
Who are St Giles Trust?Established in 1962 working with
homeless peopleSince 2000 working with
offenders in prisons and the community
Changed to become a CJS organisation, now known for employing ex-offenders and Through the Gates services
The Peer Adviser ModelTrained serving prisoners to
support prison based housing workers
Used NVQ 3 in Information, Advice and Guidance
Started employing ex offenders in community projects
Now 30% of staff are ex service users
London Café Background
Asked by Barclays to set project up in Spring 2012
Followed success of the CAFE Project in Kent and the St Giles Trust SOS Project
Aiming to offer a service that could make a significant difference to families in crisis, particularly those where the teenagers are offending
Overall aims To holistically support families, their
teenagers involved in offending and their siblings
To secure appropriate accommodation
To engage all the services needed, and fill the gaps
To reduce re-offending
To break the cycle of poverty, unemployment and homelessness
Where we were
SOS Gangs ProjectEx-offender staff, mainly younger malePopular with Community Safety and Police
Café Family Support Project in KentExperienced and qualified staff, mainly femalePopular with YOS and Children’s Services
Where we are going
Café LondonA mix of experienced and qualified staff, male and female and some ex-offenderPopular with a range of agenciesLinks to programmes like SFSC and NVR
Engagement with the teenager around offending, with a worker who personally understands the issues, and support for the rest of the family, including siblings.
This addresses immediate issues and delivers early intervention
Our approachBoth practical and emotional
supportPositive relationshipsGood links with partnersA bridge to mainstream
and statutory servicesUse some group
programmes
Family Programmes
Work best when participants are supported
Strengthening Families, Strengthening Communities (SFSC)
Non- Violent Resistance (NVR)
Some stats 47 families worked with so far
87 children supported so far
Entry into further training & jobs: 12
Accommodation found: 8
Accommodation saved: 4
School attendance improvement: 7
Number of cases with Social Services involvement: 12
The FutureThe FutureWe have been re-funded
Plans to embed delivery of parenting workshops – SFSC and NVR
Move into new boroughsLook at evaluation
Questions for us allHow do we get Children's
Services to accept peer workers?How do we persuade people to
fund this work?How might this type of project be
evaluated? What would we measure?