The Young Persons Project is a Craigavon and Banbridge Community Health and Social Services social work initiative, which engages, marginalised youth and supports and empowers young people at risk. Created in 1995 the YPP actively embraces the core principle of partnership within the N.I. Children’s Order and has developed a value base, service ethos and practice methodology that is unique within both the Northern Ireland and United Kingdom context.

Mission Statement

Promotion of services to support and empower young people and their families. The YPP delivers an intensive and expansive range of social work support services to young people and parents who are recognised by statutory authorities as being:-

• At risk of family breakdown

• At risk of entering the Juvenile Justice System

• Involved in behaviours / activities that place them at risk or in danger

• Young people experiencing significant emotional well being difficulties

The project offers a new and dynamic response in supporting these young people (12 – 18 years) who are encountering a diverse range of personal issues or life style difficulties.

Historical Perspective

In 1996 the Child Care Directorate, within Craigavon and Banbridge Trust were concerned at the increasing numbers of young people being referred to the five local child care teams. They were particularly concerned at the numbers of young people being accommodated. The Directorate’s response was to prioritise a programme of action to assess this need and develop a proportionate strategy. The YPP were tasked with this duty.

November 1996 heralded the introduction of the NI Children’s Order and a time of significant change within the Child Care Social Work context. The principles of the new legislation were used by the YPP as a "blue print" for the development of the Project principally focussing on the concept of "partnership working".

In developing this concept through to its natural conclusion, we took the unique and historically correct decision to engage in a totally voluntary capacity with all future service users. This significant shift of service style for a statutory social work team, necessitated a radical re-evaluation of the foundations of our practice and immediately introduced the central dilemma. Could / would some of the most marginalised and vulnerable young people in our community choose to avail of a voluntary social work service? As a society we tend to lack tolerance, understanding and sensitivity with regard to our youth. We suffer from a form of communal amnesia in that whilst we personally experience the anxiety of these years, we tend with the onset of adulthood, to forget how difficult this had been. As professionals, we also tend to lean towards mandatorial and statutorial dealing with our "troubled and troublesome" youth and talk of legal consequence as opposed to empowerment and informed choice.

Within the social work context presumptions exist that firstly young people do not recognise risk and danger in their lives and secondly if they do they will not voluntarily choose to change. Both presumptions are just that and evidence indicates that through mutual partnership working, couched within a framework of respect, understanding and empowerment, young people will embrace the opportunity to effect change.

Methodology and Results

A further consequence of providing services within a voluntary context places responsibility on the provider to "sell" the service. In addition to our professional social work practices the YPP were required to develop sound business principles in terms of marketing and consumer strategies. Realisation now exists that our services must be attractive to young people, they must be effective and we must be attentive in listening to and actioning their views. Feedback from our service users is vital in terms of project development and long term planning, and indeed has shaped the YPP over the past six years. All individual, group work and community services within the Project are continually evaluated by young people, parents and referrers in order to improve standards of delivery.

Individual Service

In 1996 the Project team focused primarily on young people who were identified by statutory agencies as being in priority need. These young people experienced a diverse range of crisis, family breakdown imminent, possible accommodation, custody outcome, significant at risk lifestyle behaviours. Intense individual service was provided through mutually agreed targeting and contracting between the young person and practitioner. This intense crisis interventionist model remains the Project’s core business and in 2001 – 2002 accounted for 60% of activity and delivered services to 85 young people and their families. Within this individual work priority is given to establishing effective working relationships between the practitioner and young person and resources in terms of time are ring fenced and are viewed essential in ensuring effective delivery.

Group Work Services

In 1997 recognition existed that whilst the majority of young people were successfully managed by statutory agencies, there were a number of young people whose personal situations were deteriorating and would inevitably be referred for individual YPP service. What was required was a preventative model of intervention, prudent in terms of resources yet extensive in terms of delivery. A YPP Group Work Model was developed and a number of partnerships were established with the community, voluntary and statutory sectors.

In the resulting five years the social work team have developed one of the most extensive range of group work programmes for marginalised young people and parents in Northern Ireland and deliver group work programmes, in partnership with some 20+ statutory, voluntary and community agencies.

Programmes range from the conventional Young Mens Groups, Young Womens Groups, Parent Support Groups through to creative arts initiatives, drumming circles and independent youth forums. All continue to be enthusiastically subscribed to and all are designed to empower and promote positive change.

In 2001 – 2002 group work has become a fundamental aspect of our service with 19 programmes completed and 258 young people and parents attending.

These figures are exceptional when consideration is given to the significant difficulties of those young people who attend. Many are experiencing significant emotional issues and family crisis and are suspended from statutory education, and excluded from youth service provision etc. and yet they consistently choose to use our services.

Community Development

The YPP, in keeping with the CBCHSST has a clearly defined and active community development policy. This community development role incorporates direct consultation with local communities on matters relating the young people, supporting local communities to develop youth strategies, formal project partnerships and development of independent forums of young people and parents who are directly engaged with the YPP. In addition the Project continues to respond to areas of newly identified need amongst our young people and as a consequence develops specialist projects e.g. our MAPS Mentoring Project and supported Lodgings.

Supported Lodgings In 1998 the YPP developed this unique accommodation initiative for homeless young people (16 – 18 years). The scheme provides a vital support service to aid young people in the development of independent living skills whilst living in a supportive community based setting. The scheme relies on its providers (landlords/landladies) who are specially trained and supported by the Scheme Co-ordinator.

With active YPP assistance, these young people gradually adapt to life in the community and within 6 – 18 months move into their own accommodation. This is the only service of its type in Northern Ireland and was welcomed in recent submissions to the Assembly’s Social Development Committee.

Team configuration: the team itself has six project workers, 5 social work trained and 1 part-time psychologist. The unique introduction of dedicated psychology hours to a social work team was provided in 2000 through C.A.M.S and was recognition of the therapeutic nature of the work being carried out by the Project in relation to young people experiencing emotional well being issues. Evidence of effective working should primarily be gleaned from those who use the service. Evaluations continue to be central to YPP development. Below is a brief selection of quotes from:

Young People:

• "It was brilliant being part of something, you feel wanted and welcome"

• "I worked through my problems and I don’t feel you should suffer on your own"

• "I am in a much better place emotionally and mentally now"

• "My mum and me get on better"

Parents:

• "Before the YPP there was nobody there for us or to support us"

• "I felt I was not on my own anymore"

• "I don’t think they could have done more for us"

• "I think I would have lost my daughter"

Referrers:

PBNI – "Very positive and effective in engaging young people and parents. Good at accepting referrals and innovative in developing groups "
Child Care Team – "The project has been able to facilitate early response to difficult family situations and followed this up with intensive input"
Consultant Psychiatrist "The introduction of this project and the range of interventions provided has reduced pressure on waiting lists and number of inappropriate referrals which were previously not catered for".
Voluntary Sector Provider "The YPP ensures that resources are targeted at vulnerable young people at risk."

Conclusion

Interest in replicating the model has attracted a significant interest from Northern Ireland Trusts, from Health Boards in the Republic of Ireland and also from mainland Europe. It is perhaps significant to add that this model is easily replicated within the existing social work structure and is extremely cost effective in terms of preventing young people entering the care system. CBCHSST have only 13 residential beds in total and unlike many Northern Ireland Community Trusts do not have an active residential building programme. The YPP welcomes the opportunity to share its ethos and methodology with other service providers.