G4S Mentoring Project

Working with young offenders is an important area of focus because these young people have a high chance of becoming homeless and increasingly marginalised.  We work on projects that give them the support to change their lives and also share our knowledge with prison staff.

In September we agreed a contract with G4S in partnership with YMCA England to provide mentoring support to 13 young people both during their period in custody and then on release. The project was specifically focused on providing additional support to resettle the young person back into their community during the first critical 4-6 weeks post release and concluded in March 2017.

The Y’s Youth Mentor has been able to build positive relationships with each of the young people she has met with. The work has been based on the individuals own needs, as identified by themselves and the professionals working with them. It is clear so far that this project is playing a key role in supporting young people who require this service. – Amy Bruce, G4S

Prison Staff Training

As part of the Young Adults Project (YAP) The Y was commissioned to train prison staff on the rights of care leavers and looked after children within the criminal justice system, ensuring they have right and proper access to their statutory entitlement. This work has also enabled us to gain access to Leicester, Glen Parva and Peterborough prisons and begin a process of implementing change as to how they work with this vulnerable group.