PROJECT: Music to My Ears
FUNDING: To improve the wellbeing of young people at risk of child criminal exploitation
FUNDING: £390,000 over the four years up to April 2025 from the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Surrey
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BACKGROUND
Music to My Ears is run by crime prevention charity Catch22 and works with young people in Surrey who have experienced – or are at risk of – child criminal exploitation (CCE). The project, which offers one-to-one music production sessions, was conceived by Catch22 substance misuse practitioner and former music industry executive Tim Page. He launched it in 2017 with a portable music studio built using funding from Guildford and Waverley Clinical Commissioning Group.
“Typically the interventions for young people in this field are a professional and a young person in a room facing each other and I didn't feel this was necessarily the way to get the most out of the young person,” says Page. “I was already using music as an engagement tool just to help them relax and open up. They can be quite distrusting of services so this was a way to build that rapport.”
ACTION
Music to My Ears mainly works with children and young people who are out of education, those with unstable family lives, including those affected by parental substance abuse, and young carers – all groups who may be at increased risk of CCE.
Many of the young people who use the service have emotional or mental health issues, which include anxiety and depression, while about 10% have an autism diagnosis.
It uses the music production sessions as a hook for helping them to resolve issues, re-engage with their families and get help from other services. “We would get into their story by writing lyrics together or talking about songs that resonate with them,” says Page. “You find you suddenly have this big piece of work unfolding in front of you where you can start to identify push and pull factors, trigger points, and services which might need to be involved, from just exploring a couple of songs.”
Sessions are run by project co-ordinator Page and two support workers who each have portable studios enabling them to travel across the county to meet young people at home, in schools, or in public spaces such as parks. This is particularly important for those not able to travel because they are at risk of violence from others in rival postcodes. Page estimates around 10% of the young people the project works with are deeply involved in CCE.
In April last year, Music to My Ears also opened a dedicated studio space in a community building in Farnham, which enables them to offer up to five sessions a day. Sessions can last from 45 minutes to all day depending on the level of need.
The police are the leading source of referrals but teachers, parents or youth workers can also refer to the service via an online form. Another source of referrals to and from Music to My Ears is Guildford-based radio station Kane FM, a former pirate station which runs its own charity called Mindwaves. Through this, some Music to My Ears alumni have gone on to gain experience and qualifications in radio production and broadcasting.
Once trust is established between the young person and Music to My Ears worker, they might invite a professional such as a police youth engagement officer to a session to talk about CCE or do some general crime education work. “Suddenly we find we're building a rapport with the police and we can do the same with mental health and education,” says Page. The project has access to local and national Catch22 services such as Surrey Young People's Substance Misuse Service, which shares the same office space.
The project aims to work with the young person in any capacity they want, which has included attending social services and youth justice meetings and mental health appointments to act as an advocate and provide moral support.
Support workers use therapeutic techniques focused on behavioural change such as solution-focused therapy and motivational interviewing and are trained in areas such as trauma-informed practice, adverse childhood experiences and suicide prevention work.
They help the young person to create a “care plan” – an action plan in which the young person sets themselves targets in areas such as health, education and reducing CCE risks. They identify any additional needs which could be a barrier to progress.
Music to My Ears has expanded to offer photography and film-making and successfully piloted sports and activity sessions such as hiking and paddleboarding last year. “If they want to record a song one week, start a couch-to-5K programme the next week or do open water swimming, we will do it,” says Page. “Whatever they need to stay engaged with us is at the at the heart of what we do.”
The service publicises its offer through CCE training days for professionals such as teachers and local magistrates, and town centre roadshows with Surrey County Council and Crimestoppers.
OUTCOME
The service used the Outcomes Star to measure impact with young people scoring themselves out of 10 for a range of areas including mental and physical health, skills, social networks, relationships and self-esteem.
A total of 89 young people used the service in the year from April 2023 to 2024 and completed this exercise at the start and end of their involvement with Music to My Ears.
Their average scores for trust and hope for the future increased from 4.8 out of 10 to 8.8. Average scores for physical health and self-care increased from 5 to 8 while scores for managing mental health increased from 4.5 to 8.5. The service's annual report shows 95% left with all their care plan goals met while 98% left with an appropriate onward referral.
WHAT'S NEXT?
The Music to My Ears team are keen to explore offering more sports and look at building another studio in the east of the county.
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CASE STUDY: EXPERIENCE LIFESTYLE CHANGES STEER TEENAGERS TO MORE POSITIVE FUTURES
Aaron* was referred to Music to My Ears by the police after he was arrested aged 15.
“I was constantly arguing with my dad at home, I wasn't working and felt really unmotivated and was smoking cannabis every day,” he says.
“I was selling weed and collecting debts for some older boys from another area. I now know I was being exploited although at the time I thought these people wanted to be my mates.”
He says the service provided a lot of support. “We had regular checkins to see how I was doing and I learned about CCE [child criminal exploitation], including gangs and red flags to watch out for.
“They helped me build my social skills and encouraged me to take up positive interests like music, nutrition, going to the gym, and sports. We had in-depth discussions about how lifestyle changes could benefit my mental and physical health. I also learnt more about cannabis and strategies to reduce smoking it.”
Aaron was involved in making a podcast where he talked about CCE and substance use. “I also had the chance to record my own tracks, which was really cool,” he says.
He moved in with his mum, who had moved out after separating from his dad, and found a full-time job working in fitness.
“I don't hang out with those boys anymore, I've stopped smoking weed, and my mum said she is really proud of me,” says Aaron, now 17.
“The police say there are no current concerns about CCE. My social skills have improved a lot and I feel much more motivated now.
“This journey has meant so much to me. I know what a healthy relationship looks like and when someone is using me.”
He says the team at Music to My Ears made all the difference. “If I had been sent to another worker who just wanted to sit me down and talk at me for 45 minutes once a week I'd probably not have wanted to change,” he says. “But they listened to me, understood me and helped me figure out a plan for my future.”
*Name changed
