We work with young people who are at risk of joining gangs or being involved in serious youth violence to live crime-free lives and stay out of trouble. Our dedicated team of specialists has seen first-hand the positive effect that our interventions have had on the lives of gang-affiliated youth.
As a team, we adopt a person-centred, non-judgmental approach and provide a safe and trusting environment where young people can have the space to be open and vulnerable. Our staff is incredibly passionate, knowledgeable, and empathetic because they share similar backgrounds and journeys. They have first-hand experience of the socio-economic environments and obstacles that these young people encounter on a daily basis.
Building trust between the young people and the staff is the first step in the transformational journey. One of our previous participants had this to say about his Achievement Coach:
In the sixteen years of me living on this earth, I have only met a short amount of Godsends, and you are at the top of that list. You got me somewhere, you got me a job, got me a CV, and best of all, into extended education. You’ve helped my mother, and words can’t describe what a great person you are.
Building on current best practices and evidence-based strategies, we provide a personalised support package to help each young person reach their full potential. The support package is designed to equip these young people with the skills they need to avoid gangs/serious youth violence and progress into Education, Employment, and Training (EET). Based on the London Mayor’s new public health approach to serious youth violence, we use a multi-agency approach when responding to educational disengagement and vulnerability to gang membership.
The multi-agency approach includes statutory agencies, community organisations, and key stakeholders working together to deliver family interventions and tangible outcomes for young people. Due to our extensive experience in delivering gang prevention and exit programs, we are able to provide a robust and holistic service guided by our four core aims:
• To create a growth mindset
• To work within young people’s stretch zones based on Goldilocks’ principle
• To create and increase opportunities in young people’s lives
• To develop protective factors, increase resilience and reduce distraction from goals