First Class Foundation UK’s Post

Did you know that in 2022, a young man tragically lost his life on the streets of Birmingham, West Midlands? In response, the West Midlands Violence Reduction Partnership reached out to us at First Class Foundation for support and consultation. They asked: What can be done to make a difference for high-risk young people involved in youth violence and gang activity? This question led to the creation of a specialist team that began engaging with young people in targeted hotspot areas, particularly after hours, from 6pm till late at night, during the times when they were most at risk. We focused on those deemed "hard to reach" and considered the most problematic by the system. Before starting our intervention, our team went through extensive training in safeguarding, de-escalation techniques, and collaborating with multiple agencies to ensure we could make a meaningful impact. The results were significant. We were able to demonstrate engagement and positive outcomes. However, despite our efforts, some young lives in Birmingham were still tragically lost to serious violence. This painful reality forced our team to extend our services to include pastoral and family support for those impacted by the trauma of such violence. This is the first time we’ve publicly shared the work we’ve been doing since 2022. (It wasn't easy, but important as reflective practitioners.) It provides a unique insight into the challenges practitioners face when working in sensitive and often heartbreaking situations. For instance, we’ve supported a family for three consecutive days, around the clock, while a young person was on life support. We’ve walked alongside families during the unimaginable grief of funeral services for young lives lost too soon. We also reflect honestly on the personal toll this work has taken on our team, and the importance of clinical supervision and personal therapy to maintain our well-being. Tune in to Episode 2 today to get a glimpse into the work of the Black Jackets team. A huge thank you to all the partners who have supported us over the last two years. Sustaining this work hasn’t been easy, especially with cuts to services, but we continue exploring ways to keep this much-needed work going. Recently, we were able to offer support to a family and do some behind-the-scenes work with young people, only made possible through kind private donations to our charity. Another conversation for another day, but what breaks our hearts is how reactive the whole system is 💔—not thinking about long-term proactive PREVENTION initiatives CONFESSIONS OF a YOUTH WORKER #YouthIntervention #ViolencePrevention #CommunityImpact #MentalHealthSupport #BlackJacketsTeam #YouthSupport

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