Youth work training scheme 'improved YOI staff's relationships with young people'
Fiona Simpson
Friday, October 23, 2020
A pilot programme training prison officers in youth work skills has been hailed as a “great success” in improving relationships between young people and staff at Feltham Young Offenders Institution (YOI).
The scheme, run by Kinetic Youth, saw five prison officers work with staff from the youth work organisation as part of a three-month placement.
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It was set-up in a bid to help establishments struggling to meet purposeful activity targets amid Covid-19 restrictions which saw some young people locked in cells for as many as 22 hours a day.
The project aimed to train prison officers to gain a ABC Level 2 Award in Youth Work, support prison officers to deliver youth work interventions across Feltham YOI, increase engagement with young people and increase time out of cells for young people.
A report into the programme, published by Kinetic Youth, states that the project was a “great success” resulting in “lots of positive experiences for colleagues and young people”.
The pilot meant 3,022 youth work sessions were able to be delivered at the YOI during lockdown, the report states, “significantly increasing the time young people spend out of cells”.
One prison officer said: “I feel that when I go back to my prison officer duties it will make my job easier due to having a better relationship with the young people.”
Another added: “It has been frustrating to see how obstructive prison officers can be for apparent no reason. I will definitely change my actions when my placement ends.”
Feedback from Feltham YOI notes “a significant change in some of the placement officers’ professional development”.
Improved relationships between officers and young people and increased positivity surrounding youth work engagement has increased interest in recruitment for the next cohort, it adds.
Esther Horner, director of policy and performance at Kinetic Youth, said: “At HMYOI Feltham, the Kinetic Youth team have worked in partnership with the establishment in finding ways to increase opportunities and find better outcomes for young people throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Part of our problem solving and delivery included the facilitation of a pilot training programme, where a cohort of prison officers undertook their Level 2 Award, delivered by Kinetic Youth tutors and supervised in the field by Kinetic Youth, Youth Workers.”