Stage 1. Partnership Development & Programme Design

We work with the commissioning body, usually the local authority, and other key groups in the area, including voluntary sector organisations, faith and community groups to form a 'community partnership'. We study the core youth concerns in the area and their underlying causes and determine and agree the aims and objectives of the programme.

We have a curriculum of around 40 modules. How many and which ones are used on any given programme is determined by this initial work, with the whole team being involved in the design process. A project plan is then formulated and agreed, including targetted outputs and outcomes and the evaluation criteria and methodology.

 

Stage 2. Preparing for the Programme's Delivery:

Training workshops are undertaken with our client's staff, local youth professionals, community stakeholders and family groups to explain our methodology, fully engage them with the programme and coach them in the recruitment of candidate young people.

 

Volunteers are recruited from the local community and trained by us in the skills required to be a Life Coach. The trainings use similar techniques to the work we will eventually undertake with the young people.

 

Many practitioners and volunteers have reported that this training has had a powerful effect on their professional and personal lives.

We then make presentations to the young people in the community who have been put forward to participate in the programme to fully explain to them what they can gain from participation. At the same time the rules of participation and what is expected of them are made crystal clear to them. Further individual consultations are then undertaken, following which they make a choice whether or not to participate. We insist participation is of their own choice and volition.

 

Stage 3. Delivering the Programme to the Young People:

Whilst it is the client's responsibility to appoint a Project Manager to oversee day-to-day operational matters, Youth at Risk manages all elements of training and coaching delivery to enable milestones, outputs and outcomes to be achieved.

 

Overall responsibility for training quality is that of our Head of Operations.