Positive futures

Positive Futures is a national sports based social inclusion programme for young people aged ten to sixteen. Positive Futures aims to build relationships between responsible adults and young people based on mutual trust and respect in order to create new opportunities for alternative lifestyles. The programme aims to use sport as a catalyst to encourage participants to make decisions for themselves and to take self determined steps towards a positive future. 

Crime Concern currently manages Positive Futures nationally. There are at present one hundred Positive Futures projects in operation. 

About this service

Positive Futures Easington

Aims and Objectives:

• reduce youth offending in target areas
• reduction in drug misuse among ten to sixteen year old participants
• increased numbers of young people participating in sport and physical activity on a regular basis
• reduction in anti social behaviour in local areas during Positive Futures sessions           

Referrals:

• Core 50 young people identified through multi agency referral process using Youth Inclusion Programme (YIP) model
• once the top 50 list is established, aim is to have three hours of intervention per week with each individual           

Partners

Positive Futures Easington work alongside a wide variety of partnerships in order to provide a successful service to their referrals. These partners include:

• Schools
• community centres/leisure services
• YIP/YOT/YES
• police/street wardens/social services
• on track/drug action teams
• DISC - Developing Initiatives, Supporting Communities
• School Sports Coordinators 
• Active Easington
• County Durham Primary Care Trust
• Hartlepool Borough Council  

Delivery

Positive Futures is delivered through Easington local authority, incorporating the support of other agencies such as Connexions, the Youth Inclusion Programme, Sports Development and Drug Action Teams.

Different approaches are used to engage young people in Positive Futures:

• Outreach and detach work to contact young people
• coaching skills across a range of sports linked to playing opportunities
• drug awareness and education programmes
• curricular and extra curricular activity in schools and pupil referral units
• pathways to further education, training  and employment
• holiday programmes           

Where are we now?

• Working alongside behavioural and learning support units, delivering multi sports and anti social behaviour workshops, alongside the police in schools.
• After schools clubs have been set up around the district, aiming to encourage team work, personal development, build confidence and develop leadership skills.
• Introducing sexual education and drug and alcohol work shops through partnership projects- delivery in curriculum time.  
• Outdoor education programmes offering awards in various sports such canoe star level one
• Joint holiday programmes working alongside connexions and the youth inclusion programme.         

Where are we going?

• Development of pathways for progression and continued participation
• Extension 2008
• Evaluate and monitor project using Substance database system
• Achieve project outcomes- evidence
• To work closely with the youth inclusion team to provide a cross section of activities within curriculum time and share best practice.

Some frequently asked questions

How do individuals get referred onto the project?

Through multi agency set, consisting of schools, learning and behaviour support workers, police, street warden representative, on track and youth workers. Referral reviews takes place every six months.

What type of young people do we work with?

We work with young people who agencies feel would benefit from some kind of engagement, in our case support. Young people may either be at risk of offending or have already offended or exhibit some kind of anti social behaviours. Other individuals may have difficult home lives or family backgrounds.

What areas do you work in?

Specifically Wellfield, Dene School of Technology, Shotton Hall and St Bedes Comprehensive Schools, during curriculum time. After school clubs are spread out around the district, however due to limited staffing and facilities in the area the program can sometime be restricted.

What activities do you run?

Mainly multi sports sessions in schools in order for the young people to try out different activities. However we include workshops delivered by 

• Primary Care Trust (PCT) - sexual health / drug-alcohol, 
• Police - break down barriers between police / young people and anti social behaviour package
• Out there project - peer education / drug-alcohol awareness         

We also organise activities for the children to engage in during school holiday time.  These holiday sessions have included trips to venues such as:

• fire station 
• Meadowfield riot centre
• go karting
• paintballing
• castle gate quay
• moor house adventure centre         

The aim of these activities is to encourage team work, communication and respect whilst building friendships and relationships.