As part of our targeted intervention work – where we work in identified localities to support young people, their families and communities – we are working in Tendring with the Community Safety Partnership and UTurn4Support to deliver a Wellbeing and Resilience Project to young people identified as at risk of offending.
The young people are identified locally through Tendring Council safeguarding team, in consultation with partners. Currently 14 young people are engaged in the project.
The project runs activities that cover the physical and emotional effects of knife crime and exploitation; life skills; coping with stress and anxiety; consequences of unsafe choices; help seeking support services and support to take part in wider activities in the local community.
For 12 of the young people we are working with there has been an improvement in school attendance, and all of the 14 young people say they’ve felt wider benefits ranging from an improvement in resilience, self-esteem and confidence and improved physical health and mental wellbeing.
The young people have noted changes in their own behaviours with feedback including: “I never thought that I would be out doing stuff, voluntarily with the police” and “I don’t usually like joining in and being at school, but UTurn are helping me to cope.”
