Catch22

This National Care Leavers’ Week 2024, Catch22 and National Leaving Care Benchmarking Forum have been calling on the public, professionals, carers, decision makers, and the media to 𝗖𝗔𝗥𝗘: 𝗖elebrate: care leavers/care experienced individuals. 𝗔mplify: their voices. 𝗥aise: awareness of challenges. 𝗘ncourage: change in policy and practice. This week we encourage you to: ➡️ Read the Young People’s Benchmarking Forum reports to find out what life is like in 2024 for care experienced individuals and what they believe would make a difference https://lnkd.in/ei2XDt-8 ➡️ Have a think about what action 𝘆𝗼𝘂 can take to respond to the report findings https://lnkd.in/edKBRqTj ➡️ Listen to the The Relational Social Work Podcast episode with Hannah McCowen who manages NLCBF for Catch22, talking about current issues for care experienced young people and the work of NLCBF in this area. You can find everything you need to know here: https://lnkd.in/enfmSRQ7 #NCLW

The Autumn Budget covered a huge amount, but what might it mean for Catch22 service users and our services and programmes moving forward?   ➡ Skills: At Catch22 we're firm believers in equipping young people with the skills required for future jobs. The £950m to be invested in skills capital and steps to transform the Apprenticeship Levy into a Growth and Skills levy are hugely welcome and we hope will mean more people can succeed in jobs that are sustainable and fit for the future.   We look forward to engaging with Skills England to help shape levy-funded training.   ➡ Employability: Raising the Apprentice Minimum wage is something we've long called for and is a really positive step.   We're delighted to see the Youth Guarantee Trailblazer commitment in the Budget - the work of the Youth Employment Group, chaired by Youth Employment UK Youth Futures Foundation The King's Trust and Impetus - Backing the best Institute for Employment Studies and Learning and Work Institute has been superb in pushing this forwards, and we're proud to be a member.   We eagerly await the 'Get Britain Working' White Paper which will set out a £240 million investment designed to trial new ways of getting people back into work.   ➡ Justice: The additional £1.9 billion total departmental spending to the Ministry of Justice UK in 2025-26 is welcome - as is the investment in the prisons and probation services which we know needs serious attention.   We're encouraged by the continued commitment to 'tough alternatives to custody' - and the ongoing sentencing review.   ➡ Young People, Families and Communities: The £1bn funding uplift for support for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) is welcome, alongside the roll-out of the previous government’s planned expansion of funded childcare hours and family hubs scheme.   We're pleased to see the levy on vapes will be increased in line with tobacco and that there is investment into affordable housing.   The National Living Wage increase will make a positive different to many of our service users, as will the expansion of government-funded childcare.   However, we share the concerns of the children's sector around child poverty - and without reversing the two-child cap, how this grave issue will be tackled.   We would also want to see a significant proportion of the funding committed to the NHS used for mental health and community-based interventions which we know are effective.   There are plenty of other questions emerging - including what the impact of increased devolution will be and how the increase in core funding will play out from a public service delivery perspective.   For some great post-budget analysis, do take a look at: Employment Related Services Association (ERSA) The Business Services Association Local Government Association FE News.

"Even if you have done wrong, the wrong you did does not define you." In today's episode, Nic speaks with Simon about finding hope in prison and the importance of kindness. Trigger warning: Please be aware that today's episode references suicide and suicidal ideation. This season of Catch22Minutes, "Experts by Experience", we delve into today’s key social challenges by amplifying the voices of people with real, lived experience. Hosted by Nic, a Team Leader from Catch22’s Commissioned Rehabilitative Services, each episode features honest conversations with individuals who have firsthand experience with the UK justice system and its impact on their lives. 🎧 To listen, search "Catch22Minutes" wherever you get your podcasts.

Programmes like Sweet Bobby aren't just tv-shows, it's a real-life nightmare. Romance fraud has an emotional and often financial toll on victims everywhere. Learn about the shocking reality of romance fraud, what we're doing at Catch22 to support people, and how to protect yourself: https://ow.ly/JR1t50TWhqH

“If I had to summarise Energise in one word, I would have to say it’s empowering.”   Zay is facilitator on the Energise programme. Watch as she discusses how the facilitators relate to the unique needs of participants - most of whom come from minority backgrounds, and the importance of nurturing a community environment, ultimately helping participants towards sustainable careers.   Energise is supported by Shell UK and is focussed on helping people with barriers to work into jobs in the energy transition sector. We are incredibly proud that Energise has recently been nominated for the ERSA Awards in the Skills for Work category.

This National Care Leavers Week, we're proud to share the impact of our Career Hive programme, supported by the John Lewis Partnership Foundation. We recently attended their Building Happier Futures event which highlighted the impact that programmes funded through the John Lewis Partnership Foundation are having in supporting care experienced young people. Career Hive is one of our programmes that supports care experienced young people into employment across Manchester. We have supported over 40 young people by providing a dedicated Career Coach, support with job applications, interview preparation, help to find training and education opportunities, and wrap-around wellbeing support. This person-centred support continues in-work, even once the young person has found employment. Learn more about the Career Hive programme: https://ow.ly/OM6a50TVbaN #NCLW

Have a read of this piece by Shanti Das in yesterday's Observer, highlighting the vital role of Youth Workers in police stations and hospitals. It focuses on Redthread colleagues in St Mary's Hospital, working in their Major Trauma Unit - where between July-September there were 96 referrals for 11-25 at risk of violence or exploitation. ➡️ Embedding youth work in hospitals works: ✅️ 90% of young people arrested for violent offences who engaged with a youth worker (309 out of 348) were prevented from reoffending over the next 12 months. ✅️ 78% of young people were at lower risk of harm after engaging with Redthread teams. ➡️ Building trust with young people when they are facing serious challenges in their lives is incredibly important - and when done well can completely transform the direction of that person's life ➡️ Working alongside clinicians and other hospital teams is the recipe for success; understandably young victims can be nervous about engaging with statutory services and reluctant to seek help. Clinicians are busy and are not necessarily trained in youth work. ➡️ This further highlights the importance and impact of Violence Reduction Units; the core funding for these programmes comes from London's Violence Reduction Unit. https://lnkd.in/eWBAPugC

Three of our programmes have been shortlisted for Employment Related Services Association (ERSA) awards!   ▶ Care Leavers into Careers (CLIC) in the Tailored Employment Support category   CLIC is our pre-employability programme for care experienced young people supported by Barclays UK.   In the last year, CLIC has supported over 100 care experienced young people, with 25% supported directly into employment so far and 100% of participants gaining access to training including funding over 30 local training courses.   Kevin Jennings Kirstie Mackey OBE Samantha Crandle Cath Forshaw   ▶ Energise in the Skills for Work category   Energise is supported by Shell UK and is focussed on helping people with barriers to work into jobs in the energy transition sector. In the last 14 months, over 1,200 people have completed the programme and 300 have secured jobs.   Louka T. Anthony Harte Nikita Lia Patel Alex Christie AIEP Stacey Wright   ▶ The Social Switch Project in the Youth Employment category   The Social Switch Project’s Digital Skills and Employability Programme empowers London’s youth, aged 16-30, by equipping them with essential digital skills. This initiative addresses the significant digital skills gap and barriers to employment faced by many young people   Supported by the Mayor of London's Violence Reduction Unit, the programme has successfully impacted over 300 participants. Of these, 58 have secured paid employment, and 81 have progressed to relevant training courses.   Lib Peck Darwin B. Jerome Harvey-Agyei Richard Smith Jon Matthews Kayleigh Milner Congratulations to all those shortlisted - we're looking forward to the Awards ceremony in December!

Last Friday we hosted the Refugee Employability Programme (REP) Community Closet. The community closet was an opportunity for Catch22 staff to give up clothes they no longer wear or need and to donate the to individuals from a variety of backgrounds. It was fantastic to see so many members of the local community attend, get some new clothes and learn more about the impactful work that Catch22 is creating amongst refugee communities in London. The REP Partnerships Manager shared the following testimony: "Hosting this event for our participants and local refugees was truly heartwarming. We are very lucky to have such supportive colleagues across the business that contributed to the success of the day and we were able to make a real impact to those in need. The values of the event really highlights what we want to achieve with REP, which is make a positive impact to our participants." To find out more about the REP programme, head to our website!

Very few tickets left! Don't miss your chance to join us at Catch22's 2024 conference, "The Role of the Third Sector in the Criminal Justice System", on Wednesday November 27th. Be part of the conversation with third sector delivery organisations, commissioners, and stakeholders to explore how we can work together to improve outcomes in the criminal justice system. Register for a free spot here: https://lnkd.in/emsXsgmg