What is Transitional support? Now Including
CONTENTS
4
From
Here
to
Where?
Who
is
Transitional Support Service for? 5 What is Transitional Support Service? 6 Moving on interview with Workers 7 Included How have young people participated in this project? 8 - 13 What’s the Big Idea? Suggestions developed by young people for the future of Transitional Support Service 14 - 16 Next Steps Includem’s Pamela Barnes responds to
suggestions
from
young
people
A word from Includem Over 10 years ago, when young people who had previously been supported by Includem started returning to our office, phoning our helpline, looking for help, often desperate and always with nowhere else to turn, we knew we had to do something.
So Includem responded to the calls for help from these young people and set up a service to help them navigate the difficult journey into adulthood, and move on from the intensive support which they had come to rely upon in the absence of any other supports in their life.
Stickability – this word coined by Includem – epitomises our work, that persistent and stubborn ability to forge caring relationships with the most reluctant, vulnerable and excluded young people in society. To reliably be there, for any problem, day or night, not to judge, but to care, advise, direct, cajole and motivate to better cope, to make better choices, towards a better life. Of course it made sense to continue supporting these young people, providing that sought after continuity, through the tumultuous transition into adulthood.
Funded by the Big Lottery Fund in Scotland, Transitional Support is voluntary for young people up to 26 years old, primarily using established relationships with Includem to offer 1:1 support with goal setting led by young people themselves. It is a tapered service that slowly steps back from their lives, giving them the self belief and skills to build personal supports and access, and stick at, opportunities available to them.
And so in 2005 Transitional Support was born. It was originally called Relapse Prevention reflecting research evidence, confirmed by young people’s lived experiences, that when a person manages to turnaround a pattern of negative behaviour through a period of intensive support, if that support is withdrawn too quickly, leaving them to cope with the realities of social isolation and poverty, there is a very high risk of relapsing and returning to the damaging lifestyle, the risky behaviours that they had so successfully left behind. For young people who have left the care system relapse has high stakes. No longer seen through the lens of Kilbrandon principles, in the adult world relapsing is a one way ticket to custody, often homelessness, addiction and mental health problems, and definitely worklessness.
Nine years later, operating in Glasgow, West Dunbartonshire, Fife, Clackmannanshire, Stirling and Dundee, Transitional Support has helped over 500 young people make this journey. Every day at Includem we see the continuing need for this service when statutory involvement comes to an end. Going forward we want to make sure we are doing everything we can to best help these young people in this difficult transitional period in their life. That’s why, over the summer, with the help from service design agency, Snook, we’ve been asking young people to get involved and help to make this service even better. So a huge thank you to Keira from Snook, to all our dedicated Includem staff and most of all to the 17 young people who have helped to shape some fantastic ideas presented in this paper to take this service into the future.
From here to where? Who are the young people that the Transitional Support Service are best placed to help? Who do they currently work with? Are all of these young people “in transition”? Or do some of them require another kind of support? Approx age for illustrative purposes only
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14
16
18 Where TSS currently operates
Potential journey through Includem
Not ready to Transition
Core
Period of support, similar to Core
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During our consultation we met young people undergoing a number of different transitions; from Includem’s Core service to adult life, from unemployment to college or work, leaving home or care and transitioning to independent living. Our diagram attempts to explain some of the journeys taken by young people through Includem. The ages indicated at the top of the diagram are largely for illustrative purposes; this will vary from case to case. The pink area is Includem’s Core service. The yellow can be considered the period in which a young person either transitions away from statutory services, or into adulthood. For some young people, there is a smooth move from Core’s intensive services, to a transitional period; where the pink and the yellow sit side by side.
Ready to start to leave statutory services
Referrals from out with Includem
Period of support, similar to Core
Others may find themselves in a situation where, on reaching that “magic age” of 16, they are not prepared for leaving Includem’s intense support. These are young people who live in an adult world, but are not ready to survive in it without support. This includes, but is not limited to, young people with limited family supports, living with mental health concerns, alcohol or drug misuse, facing homelessness or are simply not yet emotionally mature enough to be ready to live independently. This stage is represented by the red areas. After a period, and with Includem’s support, they may become ready to move into a yellow transition. The areas contained in the blue rectangle are, for the most part, where TSS currently operates. This raises some questions: are young people in the red zone best served by a service which aims to transition them away from intensive support? How can we help these young people, for whom statutory funding has ended but still require heightened assistance in maintaining their day-to-day lives. Where next for Transitional Support?
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“ TSS? What is We asked those who work within the Transitional Support Service (TSS) to tell us, in their words, what TSS is, what they do and who they are for.
Its voluntary - young people engage because they want to
Navigating the system
Voluntary. Support with Adult Services. Support to move on from Children and families services.
Here is what they said: Differs from Core: adult responsibility, no statutory obligation
Flexible. Help during a crisis. Support not doing everything for young people
Sustainability after service should be thought of more than core.
Guidance, support, knowledge
Structure; maintain placements, meet appointments etc
Adult rules, adult responsibilities
Sudden increase in responsibilities for Young people, not emotionally ready
Flexible, short notice 9-5 weekdays for appointments
Older age range with different problems from Core
Voluntary - vital and the support plan should be dictated by young people
How old? 14? 16? 25+?
Myth-Busting
Support the transition from childhood to adulthood
Setting them up for life
A level of support which is reduced for most young people Do Some of the advice and practical support I got from parents
”
Link in and liaise with other agencies
Practical support with things like Housing, benefits, independent living
Have to live in an adult world, but emotionally aren’t adults
The transition into adulthood and independence. Support and experience with adult responsibilities and expectations.
Wider range of support needs Make sure young people are supported by relevant agencies
Moving on Two Transitional Support Serivce workers, based in Glasgow, share thoughts on the service they provide
What does the word “Transitions” mean to you? AK: Transitions to me means moving from one place to another. It’s the journey. In a perfect world, a young person will probably have come through [Includem’s] Core service, will have progressed away from a chaotic lifestyle and be slightly less dependent. Transitional Support is (sic) to make the exit better; reduce them off the support in a measured way. But also to concentrate on specific things, rather than deal with things as they arise and fire fight. Its more an emphasis on teaching skills that young people can use when services are no longer there. Things like building social capital, making sure that relationships are strong with key people in their life that they can use once we’re away. It can be as simple as not just phoning and booking them an appointment; teach them how to research so they can make their own appointment, making sure they’ve got confidence phoning people. KR: To me it means making a change, growing up, transitioning from childhood to adulthood. It’s changing what we expect from young people and what they expect from us. Transitional [Support is] voluntary. They decide they want to keep working with us, they’ve decided they still need a bit of support so its very much them leading things. What are some of the things you help young people with? What is the most important?
coping skills. Rather than arguing all the time; how do we pinpoint what’s actually causing the friction and deal with it in a better way? There’s a lot stuff young people are maybe too embarrassed to suggest [is the most important thing that Includem do with them] or they maybe aren’t 100% aware because its not spelt out to them: “This is what we’re doing.” KR: Because they are mostly in the age range of 16 and upwards that are getting referred over to us, its mainly things like housing, benefits, job opportunities. Getting them ready for adulthood; so all the things you’d need to be an adult, to learn about. Like budgeting, how to manage your door and not have your house be a drinking den, seeing what opportunities are out there for employment etc. I think the most important thing is the relationship they have with Includem. We take a long time to build relationships, establish trust and honesty and for them to be able to be honest with us about what’s going on in their lives. If they are not being transparent and honest with us, then we are not able to help them in the way we should be. It allows us to be more frank and honest with them as well. I think if you go in straight away, being quite blunt with a young person, they are not going to respond to it. Once they’ve got to know you and your way of working, and you’ve got to know them and how they like to be worked with, then it’s a kind of two way street, then you can move forward. What would a perfect exit look like?
AK: I think employment is certainly a major part of a young person becoming an adult. That’s when you get a bit of confidence, you get a bit of a routine, you get out of old routines of maybe hanging around with your friends, and into a stable working life. There’s lots of work we do around housing. Specific young people would probably say that’s more important. Independent living skills, getting people into their own tenancies. There’s also lots of work that we do mediating between families; to keep young people in the house. Although they might not see that as focused work, we’re having the conversations, sitting down with them and their families, trying to teach them
AK: I think the perfect exit would be somebody leaving when I’m not concerned that they are leaving; they are fairly settled in accommodation, a decent social life and social circle, they’ve got some sort of long term employment or education or training in place, their general wellbeing; they are quite happy and confident and also that they know that if anything does go pear shaped, they can phone up the Includem helpline and we’ll be able to advise them from there. KR: Its about having all the right supports in place for them; that they are going to be in a good place,
that they don’t require Includem’s support but maybe they’ve still got a housing officer, or an addictions worker, that they’ve still got other supports in place, that they’re not just left on their own. For me its just about making sure that they’re in a good place and are managing OK. I wouldn’t want to leave them without, and then they are ready to fail again because they don’t have someone in place or they don’t have things sorted out for them. I think we’re good at not exiting them before they’re ready. Sometimes the young person has decided that they want to exit and you have a natural drift where they start missing contacts and it just comes to a natural end. A lot of times that’s because they don’t want to have to say goodbye, they don’t want to deal with that. I think all the staff are good at making sure they’re ready. It works. What do you hope to leave young people with after exit? AK: I think it’s really to be responsible citizens that take part in society. They are part of the employment world, they are behaving responsibly, they aren’t offending. To lead a normal, happy life that everybody expects to have. That is what I would want for them. Just to have an average life, because everybody’s the same aren’t they? Nobody’s any different. Everybody should have the same expectations when they grow up. I see Includem in general as about breaking cycles, and hopefully, slightly changing attitudes. There might be ups and downs when they are with us but I just hope that when they are 25 they remember a lot of what we’ve taught them. KR: I hope to have left them with a good moral compass. We do a lot of work on offending behaviour, how things affect people that they might not have even realised, looking at the morals of if you rob somebody, the effects that has. That’s what I’d like to leave them with. Also, with a positive experience of having a support worker. To have a positive experience and to have gained from it and made positive changes and are doing well in their lives.
Included. “For participation to be empowering it must move beyond consultations and commenting on policies and procedures. All activities should seek to take young people on a journey, by developing transferable skills and fostering individual development rather than just eliciting opinion. Only through the learning experience can young people develop the skills to critically reflect and engage with the services and society they are a part of.” This is the National Care Advisory Service’s statement, regarding involving young people in service planning and development. Have we achieved this? Although this newspaper refers to a “consultation” process; inclusivity, empowerment and skills transfer are at the heart of Snook’s core practise. We firmly believe that a co-design approach produces the best results for our clients and, more importantly, service users themselves. The very people who engage with services are, of course, the most important in any project which looks to comment on or improve a service. Throughout this venture, young people have been at the heart. Barriers and opportunities were identified
by those young people who work with Transitional Support, and it was them who led the way in finding solutions and ways to make the service even better. We have taken care to avoid “tokenism”, as well as being mindful that young people aren’t left with a feeling of “consultation fatigue” or that they have simply been used for sound bites. What hurdles have we faced along the way? By the very nature of the work Includem do, it has been difficult to engage a regular group of young people throughout the project. In the past, Snook have worked intensively with small groups of young people dedicated to a topic, to produce recommendations and a publication, similar to this one (have you heard about “The Matter”?). Young people have been supported as peer researchers and guided in leading co-design sessions with other young people. It was clear from the start that this model would need to be adapted to work within Includem. Instead, Keira has worked closely with young people and their workers in a sort of pix’n’mix-style project of cocreation. Overall, 17 young people were engaged in the project across both Glasgow and Fife. These young people have generously shared their journeys
through Includem, have identified barriers along the way and suggested opportunities for improvement. It was notable that young people often found it hard to identify weaknesses within Includem, or areas for improvement. Feeling they are treated with respect and as equals by Includem and are part of the process, they often talked about Includem as “perfect”, stating that they “wouldn’t change a thing.” They receive a level of support they have failed to get elsewhere. “I thought they were just another company making you do stuff. But they are one of the best I’ve worked with so far,” one young person said. But there is always room for improvement. Opportunities and solutions were gathered not only from young people, but from workers and other Includem staff too. Young people responded well to this; engaging in further development, often excited to put forward their own thoughts, insights and ideas. The majority of the young people involved agreed to meet with Snook several times. This allowed them to see the progression of their ideas - from barriers first identified in their journey with Includem, to potential ways of solving the problem, through to more realised solutions. Through this process it is hoped that the young people involved have gained some insight into how and why change comes about, and how it can be implemented. Now it’s Includem’s turn to show these young people how their input will contribute to the future of the service. 7
“Help me oot”
Wha t’s the big idea ? The ideas and opportunities presented here have been designed and developed by the young people Transitional support work with, as well as in consultation with their workers and Includem as a whole. Each set of ideas solve a barrier highlighted by young people who use the service, or by their workers. They are an indication of where things could be taken in the future and where we might look to make our service even better.
What is it? A book or resource pack, specifically designed to meet the needs of young people who are engaging with Transitional Support.
What Is in it? “Help Me Oot” (working title) is flexible and adaptable, with sections being added when needed, and specific to each young person. Some of the things it might include are outlined below. Tools for skills for life Sheets for budget making, shopping, daily planner, calendar etc. Practical Information E.g. - things to think about when first getting a tenancy, “how to’s” etc. A Wee Black Book A directory of all the people a young person meets along the way; their details, opening times, location etc. Navigating the System Simple, clear, visual guides to navigating for example, housing, benefits, legal process etc. A Better Life for TSS All in one place, and only the pieces one needs. Updated to reflect the life, experience, age & stage of young people working with Transitional Support.
“They help you, instead of just lecturing you.” LS, Glasgow “They don’t pressure me into doing anything, let me do it at my own pace.” JW, Glasgow
What does it do? How does it work? Young people receive the bits they need, as they need them. Each young person has ultimate responsibility for their pack, and takes ownership of it. A young person can continue to use their pack for reference after exit. Young people can feel more confident about an exit, knowing they won’t be “going cold-turkey.” A pack like this gives workers the resources to do practical work, whilst leading young people into other work. It gives young people greater control & responsibility.
Plenty of solutions which tackle other issues raised by young people were developed too. Here we have selected some of the most pressing and realisable ideas. All issues and ideas raised during this process are being considered and reviewed.
Young people were excited by the prospect of increased practical help from Includem, as well as being able to take control of some things themselves, by having the correct information to hand. Some young people had either started to look at some of these things with their workers, or alone, but welcomed the idea of bringing all of them together, in one place.
“They are a routine, I have to meet them and DO something.”
CB, Fife “I’d done all of [ABL] already in Core.” TC, Glasgow
“[ABL] was boring. But they take me to the job centre or Includem to use the computer.” GM, Glasgow
Why do we need it? Young people who had only been engaging with Includem for a short time identified the practical work they had done as the most valuable. Those who were nearing exit were able to talk about behavioural, cognitive and emotional work done. Practical work can be thought of as a way of engaging young people with Includem, allowing workers to build up to other work. A Better Life for TSS should reflect the age and stage of these young people. It should also reflect one of Includem’s major strengths - “not lecturing” young people and working in a practical way. Young people really valued gaining some basic life skills from their Includem workers. Many young people highlighted the positive affect that the routine of Includem had on the routine and structure in other parts of their lives. This would support and build upon that. Young people often found it hard to differentiate between Transitional Support and Core services. By engaging with a tool which reflects A Better Life, but is distinctly different, it can be made clearer in their minds that they are now working towards a new goal, and must gradually take on greater responsibilities.
Young People
What Do people say about it?
Workers
“It should just be in the background of everything Includem do.”
“Putting it all in one place, which the young person takes control of.”
“Would also help people planning to move in to their own place, to get them off the ground. We would have benefited from it when we moved in.”
“Young people (YP) are not left “cold turkey” “Process currently seems final, rather than a ‘natural end’”
“Good to get an explanation of things that are hard to understand.”
“Practical life skills that may be lacking due to chaotic upbringing.”
“A Better Life diary. Can write in it other aspects of what help you’re getting.”
“YP feeling more confident about exiting safety net.”
“Helps people starting out on their own who are finding it hard to get the start in life that Includem can give them.”
“ABL needs to be tailored to young adults. No glitter & glue.”
“Will help people to be more responsible, more independent.” “Like an Includem Encyclopedia.”
“ABL needs to be more practical, and not set out like school work.” “Day-to-day support as important as structured work.” “It’s young person led and centred. Young people are the main focus.”
After Includem How can we support young people to continue progressing beyond exit? Is exit the end of involvement with Includem? Young people often indicated that this felt false - the relationships they have built with their workers are very genuine. How can we respect this personal bond beyond exit? Can and should we offer young people the chance to give something back to Includem?
What might that look like? One, or a series, of Check-in calls Acknowledges the genuine, personal relationships between worker & young person. Supports young person to maintain their progress. Invitation to Become a young person mentor To share their experiences with new referrals, as well as benefits of volunteering as a mentor.
What does it do? How does it work? On the whole, young people were surprised or a little confused that they would no longer have any contact from their workers after exiting Includem. They felt that a short call in the future was a more natural way to end the relationship and looked forward to hearing from their workers. Some said they would feel more confident after exit, knowing that they would be checking in with them. Others felt it would help them to continue to make positive progress, because they would want to prove to their worker that they “could do it.” Others still were just excited to have the opportunity to give their workers their good news. None indicated that a check-in call would be invasive.
“[On ‘check-in calls’] Aye, it’d be good. It’d be like getting a dog, and it dies, and then you get to see it again. It’s good getting a call from someone you’ve no seen in years.” LS, Glasgow
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When we talked about young people who have left Includem, acting as mentors to new referrals, most of the young people I spoke to agreed that if another young person who had had similar experiences to them could have told them a bit more about Includem when they first began, they would have felt more comfortable in engaging positively sooner. Those nearing exit often spoke positively about being mentors themselves - wanting to help young people in the same way that Includem helped them, as well as helping young people with similar experiences to themselves.
Why do we need it? The time and care taken to build meaningful relationships is what makes Includem stand out. Young people are often quite nervous about the idea of being suddenly cut off from Includem after exit. Due to the geniune and personal relationships workers build with them, young people expressed sadness at the thought of no longer having contact with them after exit. They also talked about their relationship with workers as a positive influence on their continued progress; as you would expect in a personal relationship, young people didn’t like to let their workers down. Several young people indicated that knowing that they would speak to them again would act as an incentive, they’d want to have some good news to share.
“A call from your worker or a chance to see them again [after exit] would be good. I”d miss them.” JW, Glasgow “They were there when no one else was.” ML, Glasgow “Now I know I can do it by myself. But it’s good to know she’ll be seeing my sister.” J, Fife “It would be weird not having them. I’m used to seeing them. I’d end up calling them just to talk to them.” LS, Glasgow “I’d want to call them [after exit], to share my good news.” ML, Glasgow
“I’d like to help other people I know get involved, but they aren’t interested.” KT, Fife “Some of my brother’s wee pals [could benefit from Includem.] They’d probably laugh if I told them about it. Maybe if I told them my story...” LS, Glasgow “I recommended it to a friend in Oasis [homeless project, Fife).” J, Fife “My pals who had worked with Includem actually made me feel quite excited to work with them.” AD, Glasgow “I’d like to give my pal one day with them to see how it goes.” AD, Glasgow
What Do people say about it? Workers “To give a little confidence.” “YP are used to using the helpline. Unobtrusive.” “Confidence and reassurance for TSS young folk.”
“Inspiration to continue positively after exiting.” “Make young people reflect on their behaviour/actions.” “Are they confident about life after TSS?”
“Hard to make call to “Good relationships with helpline and ‘admit workers - trust.” defeat’” “Workers have a good “Good for both YP and balance between Includem.” friendship and professionalism.”
u idea. Yo d o o g a “Its ng lls eck-in ca be falli h C d e l l p u o o e c P Young nda k. Its ki ch with c u a o b t n i back ing.” “We got reassur e Briege s u a c e b o’ve or Includem eople wh alled [f p c ] ] p t l n e e h d d ed to d we [PhD stu “[It woul bit scar ] & hear h a rs c e r r a a e s a d & as rson mento .” e e w p e t i t n g her re x I o n e u h . o p p Y l the ome he pick up needed s n my .” t p m pro omeone i s o t k l it’s “I’d ta ell them T g . a n n i e s o c i s t n a ou i o r pos ’t give y A call] f embar n “[ o o d d n w y i e e k f h “Its or a good, t after month f to call g grief.” n r i e o t g f a g n s i h e t b mon ing’s everyth ong.” l o s exit.” r o f to give so well “I’d like rked ne day o had wo rson you eople my pal o e h p p [w f e o s h l t t e eel a o e p o “A l “My to ade me f h them, s alking t in Includem is m d t i ] e “T w r m e a d c s u l are too ith Inc th them. d with ing t goes.” w i e i l w k l .” w r a k k o o c n h r w i o n h w a t to ves ious th phone I excited their li d less anx to someone new.” e g n a h c g Said it t.” & talkin and tha 11
Promoting recognition How can we build mutually respective relationships with the other agencies with which young people interact? Young people often felt that they were far happier to engage with Includem than any other agency they have encountered. They talked about how much they valued their worker’s support in meetings with other agencies, but sometimes felt that the support wasn’t fully respected by these agencies.
“They come to meetings with my case worker and say what needs to be said.” TC, Glasgow “They’re not that way, like a social worker. They aren’t there all the time & they just judge you. Includem don’t.” TC, Glasgow “You can own up to them.” J, Fife
What might that mean.? why do we need it? By raising Includem’s profile with outside agencies, as well as their understanding of the work that Includem do, young people can always come to expect Includem’s support and advocacy where and when they need or want it. Work done in this area should always be clearly communicated to workers, so that effective working relationships can be established between front line staff. Our consultation has found that the understanding of Transitional Support and the service provided by this team can be quite varied, even within Includem’s own staff. Specific publications which outline Transitional Support’s practise would be helpful for professionals from other agencies, as well as Includem’s own staff, for young people who might benefit from TSS or their parents, guardians etc.
What Do people say about it? Young People
“They don’t treat you like a number. They care. They are always there.” GM, Glasgow “I would never have known about it without Core.” TC, Glasgow
What might that look like? Promotion of Advocacy work Ensure Includem & young people can expect that workers will be invited to help young people represent themselves in decisions which affect them. Becoming widely understood Through clear visuals, to encourage referrals, recognition of Includem’s good work etc. Publication or conference for external audience Similar to annual report? But to be read by other agencies, young people, Includem “alumni”. parents, carers etc. Can showcase stories from young people, guardians, workers etc. Other relevant information and resources. Wider understanding within Includem Make sure that every member of Includem’s staff understand the service provided by Transitional Support, the young people that they are best placed to work with etc, in the way the same things are understood for the Core service. This newspaper is part of that process.
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“It was good that Alan was free when I got that letter about that meeting. I would have messed up if he wasn’t there.” Workers “Helps YP get a better service as relationships and communication between Includem & other agencies may improve.” “Better known as professionals in courts etc.” “To raise awareness of what TSS actually do.” “To be an effective service, people need to know who we are.” “Invite outsiders to the conference?” “Professionals meeting on a regular basis.” “TSS info pack” “Staff need to be made aware of steps being taken to raise awareness of TSS.”
Supporting Employment What Do people say about it? Workers “Positive relationships. Increases employment opportunities.”
In what other ways can we, or should we, be supporting young people into employment or Education, and how can we help them maintain that?
“Support for TSS young people.” “Intervention to help young people keep their jobs.” “Co-ordination between agencies.” “IT tuition?” “Drop ins? Job Centre? Skills Development Scotland?” Young People “[I’d like] practical support with CVs & cover letters for certain jobs.” “We’ve done interview skills. What they might say, how to answer.” “[Other agencies] throw Get Ready For Work courses at you, then you get sent off them. I wasn’t ready.” “Includem work with courts & it looks good, would be good if they had the same with employers.” “Help to get past the CV stage.”
It was interesting to see that when asked “What is the most important thing Includem have worked on with you”, a majority of young people asked listed “finding work” as one of the most important. When asked why this was, factors such as the independence and security afforded by a job they could maintain were cited.
What might that look like? Includem create relationships with employers Giving employers confidence to hire a young person working with Includem - knowing that working with Includem means that the young person will be supported to maintain their employment, and that if there is any breakdown, they can consult Includem. Includem’s relationships with employment agencies Do and should Includem make connections with employers? What about with other agencies who provide Get Ready For Work schemes, or support with apprenticeships and training? Young people confessed that they had struggled to stay on Get Ready For Work programmes. They indicated that if they could do these within an Includem environment, they felt they would be more successful. Clearly, it is important that young people do not become wholly reliant on Includem services and should be encouraged and supported to engage in the wider world. By building relationships with other agencies who provide this sort of support and training, Includem can be better placed to help young people continue their engagement with them, hopefully leading to a smoother entry into work. There was some confusion amongst workers around what work Includem already do in this area. As with relationships between Includem and statutory services, this needs to be clearly communicated to front line staff, so that the best use can be made of it.
Next steps
We asked Includem’s Head of Research & Communications, Pamela Barnes, to respond to the proposals from young people. Words by Pamela Barnes
“Help me oot”
After Includem
A Better Life for Transitional support
Call Backs and Mentoring
A fantastic idea and fits with concurrent discussions about ensuring our practitioner toolkit remains up to date, and as useful as possible, for staff and young people.
Check-in Calls A fantastic idea and echoes findings that more young people are entering Transitional Support via self referrals after exiting Includem and then calling the Helpline a few months later when they have no-one else to turn to. This also allows a more natural continuation of caring ‘corporate parent’ relationships that keeps contact, but slowly allows young people to move away from dependency. This allows Includem to provide essential crisis support if required, but also share and celebrate young people’s achievements as they grow.
Next Steps • Create plan to develop this vision, design and test prototypes, produce a new resource possible linked to the existing ‘This is My Future’ module, then implement, review and refine it across the initiative. • This will involve staff, young people and identified external advisors where required. This will form part of new Transitional Support initiative. • This complements and adds value to planned organisational developments of A Better Life which are grouped into 3 areas – Evaluation, Digitisation and Accreditation.
A note of caution: We need to fully recognise the difficulty faced by young people making the transition from a dependent relationship with Includem workers (often in the absence of any other positive supportive adult relationship), nurtured during intensive support to help young people change their behaviour and their lives, towards an independent life without Includem. It is emotionally difficult for the young person and for the workers involved. Workers must constantly negotiate a careful balance between a strong, trusting and caring relationship and progressing towards less dependency and reliance on this supportive relationship. This is a difficult and complex area picked up by Briege in her PhD and I believe an area where our experience and learning could be extremely valuable to share with other organisations, as we continue to develop our practice and service design.
Next Steps New service will test the value of check-in calls for young people who have exited Includem, and if found to be beneficial to young people we will embed this within the service.
Young People Mentors A very appealing idea, and fits well with wider recent research evidence and findings from Briege’s PhD study about the need for young people to feel a positive sense of identity and contribution within an ‘interdependent relationship’, not just a dependent support-seeking relationship.
Next Steps Proposal to include capacity within the new TS service to test, embed, review and refine a peer mentor element to the service. This would involve recruiting, training and helping young people at the point of leaving the TS service to become a peer mentor.
14
Promoting Recognition
Supporting Employment
Includem & Other Agencies
Includem & Employers
Definitely agree that better promotion of Transitional Support is a priority, to raise awareness about the distinctiveness of this service to staff across the whole of Includem, and also to external agencies working in every local area where this project helps young people.
The feedback from young people and staff mirrors findings from the End of Year report and more generally recognised lack of appropriate opportunities especially real job opportunities. There is a clear need to prioritise ‘increasing employment opportunities’ as a key goal of Transitional Support Service.
Next Steps Next Steps Proposal to invest in better awareness raising material for different audiences and take more advantage of promotional opportunities. Also Includem is collaborating with Dundee University’s Centre for Transformative Change: Education and Life Transitions as part of the new funding bid. It is proposed that the Centre will undertaken creative and participatory evaluation of Transitional Support to feed into ongoing service improvement, and a series of knowledge exchange events and outputs to create dialogue and share learning with other organisations.
Young people are successfully supported to access and sustain engagement in different placements, but knowledge of opportunities could be better. We need a more coordinated approach to ensuring Transitional Support maintain a comprehensive knowledge of employment/training opportunities available for young people. The Service Review has brought in a consultant to help identify suitable employability agencies and training/education organisations for developing more strategic links and partnership working to support young people move along the Employability Pipeline.
TSS Team respond to young people’s ideas