Case studies: Project casebook

TACKLING KNIFE CRIME TRAINING

Aim: To help practitioners understand the underlying causes of knife crime and engage with young people

Funding: Includes £11,000 from Northumbria Police to develop the toolkit and pilot training

Youth workers are getting training on how to engage young people around knife crime, thanks to a new course funded by Northumbria Police. The two-day course, developed by Fairbridge Training, aims to give practitioners a deeper understanding of why young people might carry weapons.

"Tackling knife crime is not simply about telling young people to stop carrying knives," explains Fairbridge Training manager Richard Thornton.

"It's about dealing with all the issues that might lead to someone carrying a knife. It's about understanding where those young people are coming from."

The course is part of wider efforts by Northumbria Police to tackle knife crime in the region and includes cash attached to the government's Tackling Knives Action Programme. Part of the money will be used to produce a DVD for use in schools. Paul Stanley, Northumbria Police's harm reduction co-ordinator, says the training was one way for police to work with partners to get crime reduction messages across to young people.

"It's trying to find a different way of doing business, if you like," he says. "We know youth sector organisations are better than the police at engaging with young people."

Youth workers and others often work with young people most at risk of being victims or perpetrators of knife crime, adds Thornton. "They're most often young people who are not in school or involved in other things," he says. "We want to work with people who have direct contact with those young people, such as youth workers and others working in areas like housing and finance."

The training was piloted in Newcastle in May last year with a mix of practitioners, including youth workers from the statutory and voluntary sectors and youth offending teams. Two other courses took place last year with two more lined up for 2010. Places on these are being subsidised thanks to further funding from Northumbria Police.

The course has also been adapted to form part of training for football coaches in the region. Fairbridge drew on its experience of working with young people to develop the training, which is accompanied by a toolkit containing practical activities to help young people examine their behaviour.

Thornton says: "This is not about teaching people how to do their jobs or be youth workers but is about giving them some new, good quality ideas that have been shown to work in practice."

REFLEX

Aim: To steer young people away from crime

Funding: Sources include the prison service, education providers and trusts

Young offenders are turning their lives around with the help of Reflex, a national project developed by Christian charity Youth for Christ.

The scheme works with young people in custody and upon release as well as those at risk of being drawn into crime. It aims to tackle issues that lead to offending such as poor academic achievement, lack of positive role models and low self-esteem.

In the north-east, Reflex works with young men and women aged 16 to 25.

"Many of the young people we work with have such little confidence that starting education again in prison can be a real battle," says resettlement co-ordinator Leah Baboolal.

A team of specialist youth workers run creative arts "Urban Skillz"

courses in young offender institutions. These courses enable young people to work towards accreditation while building the confidence and skills needed for learning.

The courses are often a bridge to further education, says Baboolal: "Many go on to study English and maths with greater confidence for the first time."

Reflex also works alongside prison chaplains to enable young offenders to explore the Christian faith. When young people are released, the project continues to offer support, working in partnership with local churches and other organisations and recruiting and training volunteers to work with young people.

"Many of the young people are going back to unstable and difficult home lives, often facing issues like unemployment, homelessness and addiction," says Baboolal.

Having a mentor can make all the difference.

The best part of her job is seeing a young person leave prison and get back on their feet, says Baboolal.

"It's great to be able to say with confidence at the gate 'I don't want to see you again'," she concludes.

MOBEX ACTIVITIES PROJECT

Aim: To engage young people in positive activities on Fridays and Saturdays

Funding: £367,000 from the Youth Sector Development Fund

A host of adventure activities has been opened up to young people in Tyne and Wear, thanks to a project run by Mobex North East.

The charity is one of 25 voluntary sector organisations in England to get government funding to tackle antisocial behaviour on Friday and Saturday nights. It's running free, six-week courses giving 12- to 19-year-olds the chance to take part in thrilling indoor and outdoor activities.

Participants can be referred by organisations including voluntary youth groups, youth services, family intervention projects, youth offending teams and schools.

"They're a mix of young people who are interested in the outdoors and want to do something different on Friday and Saturday, those on the cusp of antisocial behaviour or offending and those who have been involved in antisocial behaviour and offending," says Danny Gilchrist, project director of Mobex North East.

They get to choose from a menu of activities, which includes climbing, off-road cycling, waterfall jumping and coasteering.

The programme also involves discussion around consequences and risk to help young people explore their behaviour. The hope is that young people will want to continue with the activities they enjoyed, says Gilchrist.

The project, which runs until March 2011, is also training peer educators and trialling work with whole families.

Prospective peer educator Natasha McGuinness, 17, has enjoyed kayaking, archery, fencing and gorge walking.

"I've gained lots of confidence," she says. "Mobex has made me feel so welcome, wanting me to get involved in everything and not making me feel like a spare part."

ACTIONNAIRES

Aim: To give visually impaired children and young people access to a range of sports and ensure they have the same opportunities as sighted peers

Funding: From trusts, councils and government, community fundraising and corporate sponsorship. Includes a charity partnership with the newly merged Boots Opticians and Dollond & Aitchison company, which is set to raise £125,000

The chance to enjoy sports and exercise is something most children and young people take for granted. But for those who are blind or partially sighted, opportunities are often limited.

A network of clubs run by the charity Action for Blind People is striving to change that, opening up an array of sports to visually impaired young people.

Archery, trampolining, and judo are among the free activities on offer at 32 Actionnaires clubs across England and Wales.

Simple adaptations such as using balloons on archery targets make it possible for young people with visual impairments to take part.

"With careful consideration to safety and creative thinking there isn't a sport that can't be adapted for visually impaired children, working with the right qualified professionals," says Colin Vince, national sports manager for Action for Blind People.

Other adaptations include making floor markings bolder, using bells in balls and larger equipment.

Often schools, colleges and mainstream sports clubs are unsure how to include those with visual impairments, says Vince. Actionnaires also works with local organisations to raise awareness.

The chance to take part in sport improves health, fitness, physical skills and co-ordination and boosts young people's confidence, self-esteem and social skills.

"I've seen young people come into Actionnaires for the first time aged 13 or 14 holding tightly onto mum's hand," says Vince. "You go back and they're running in on their own, full of confidence with the parent 15 yards behind."

Actionnaires is supported by national staff, regionally based sports development officers and 64 part-time club co-ordinators, plus volunteers and professional sports coaches.

Rosie Pybus, 18, from Durham attends the club in Sunderland every Saturday. "I've done a lot of extreme sports that if I was on my own or with a group of ordinary friends I'd never have thought of trying," she says.

That includes boating in twin-hulled canoes, "urban surfing" on flexible boards indoors and more common sports such as football and rounders, as well as those designed for the visually impaired like goalball, a team game that involves throwing a ball containing a bell. "I never even knew about goalball but now it's a sport I really enjoy playing," says Rosie.

She values the chance to make new friends and has gained confidence.

PE lessons were sometimes a challenge for Rosie, who is partially sighted. "I'd always give something a go," she says. "But when you're handed a ping-pong bat and told you have to hit this tiny ball then it can seem like a bit of a joke.

"One of the great things about Actionnaires is the knowledge the volunteers have. Some have visual impairments themselves and they understand a lot more about people's requirements and make things fun."