I-Hobo

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Early Interventions to Prevent Youth
HomelessnessReconnect Mediation, Schools Work
and Parenting Support
www.depauluk.org
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What is Reconnect?

• Flexible portfolio of services that aims to
  prevent family breakdown and youth homelessness
• Family Mediation/ 11 support
• Schools Workshops/Surgeries
• Parenting classes
• Can be tailored to meet local need through
  discussions with commissioners/partners

www.depauluk.org
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Reconnect

• The Reconnect mediation service was first
  established in Manchester in 2002, in Oldham in
  2007 and in London and Kent in 2008.
• Reconnects role, is to prevent, or relieve
  homelessness for young people
• This is achieved by creatively supporting
  families and their young people to resolve
  outstanding issues between them, opening lines of
  communication and if needed referring to
  alternative accommodation.
• To date, Oldham Reconnect has worked with 452
  young people, had contact with 252 of their
  families and prevented homelessness in about 200
  cases.

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Referrers include

• Housing
• Connexions
• Youth Offending Service
• Schools and Colleges
• Prisons
• Child and Adolescent Mental Health
• After Care (Social Services)

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The service in Oldham

• Based in Oldham Connexions Centre a hub for a
  large amount of youth provision in the borough
  YOS, duty After Care, Crime FIP, Young Peoples
  Substance Misuse Services and Challenge and
  Support Services.
• Oldham Reconnect, like the other Reconnect
  services, differs from many mediation schemes, in
  that it employs a solo mediation method. We are
  able to work flexibly and informally with young
  people and their parents in a way that builds
  confidence and trust in the process.
• Families are met in an environment where they
  feel comfortable home, a café, a friends home
  or more often in the centre, where there are
  rooms for 11 or group sessions.

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Reconnect Works

• In a recently commissioned evaluation of
  Reconnect services for 2009, where young people
  were referred because of family breakdown likely
  to result in homelessness
• Homelessness was prevented in 82 of clients
• Oldham Reconnect resolved housing in 76 of
  clients for 6 months or more
• Early Intervention is key
• Homelessness is prevented in 90 of those
  clients who are helped before they leave home
  compared to just 64 after they have left home

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The cost of failing to prevent youth
homelessness

• The average cost of Reconnect is 363 per person,
  delivering an annual saving of 9,493 had
  homelessness not been prevented
• It is estimated that, based on 2009 figures,
  Oldham Reconnect can be credited with saving the
  local authority 1,215,216 a year through
  homeless prevention
• 35 young people would have been likely to be
  housed under the Housing Act 139,230
• 27 young people age 16-17 who would have been
  likely to be assessed as in need and
  accommodated today under Section 20 (1) of the
  Childrens Act 1,075,896

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Mediation

• Confidential
• Impartial
• Safe
• Voluntary
• Client-directed
• Solution and future-focused

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Mediation Process

• Meets both parties individually and listens to
  both sides of the story
• Works with both to focus their concerns and helps
  them build empathy for the other
• 3. Facilitates/ manages a joint session where
  the parties talk about their differences
• 4. Guides the parties to create an agreement
  that they can both live with and will help them
  move forward
• The process is very flexible and much
• successful mediation work is done informally
• in response to the context/ familys particular
  circumstances/ needs

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Schools Work

• Drop-ins/ Surgeries offering 11 support-
  advice, signposting and family mediation if
  appropriate
• Workshops on homelessness awareness/conflict
  resolution/anger management
• 6 week course on Positive Relationships can be
  delivered in class groups/ tutor time and
  followed up with family mediation if appropriate

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Schools Group-work

• Linked to overarching PSHE requirements for
  schools re Every Child Matters / Wellbeing
  requirement / National Healthy Schools Programme
  / Section 351 of the Education Act (1996)
• Relates to the citizenship curriculum (conflict
  resolution)
• Addresses Pupils' social development part of
  national curriculum
• acquiring an understanding of the
  responsibilities and rights of being members of
  families and communities () and an ability to
  relate to others

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Outcomes of group-work
Increase Self-Esteem Confidence 20 (80 to
some degree)
Address Relationship Issues 100
Improve Inter-Relational Skills 80
Develop Communication Anger Management
skills 80
Increase Respect/ Understanding of Others
Self 100
Reduce Feelings of Isolation
Improve Emotional Awareness 80
Normalise Difficult Emotions- 80
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(The class) made me feel valued and like the
things I said werent silly
(the group taught me) it is important to accept
peoples point of view in life I will now accept
other peoples opinion and not judge them
I learnt how to accept the fact people have their
own opinion even thought I might not agree with
it
It made us more of a group and learnt that people
have been through similar things
I underestimated the emotions of the people in
my class
Learned about self esteem and it was great to
know and share feeling
At first I wasnt really sure if I was brave
enough to have the confidence to sit in the
circle and talk to everyone but it was fun after
a while and I can do that now
It has helped my confidence more and its given
the whole class more time to get to know each
other more and know a little about their lives
The class got on better in other lessons too
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Other benefits of Reconnect interventions in
schools

• 58 of homeless 16-17 year olds have missed a
  lot of school
• 54 have been suspended or excluded from school
  at least once
• Reconnect interventions help students address
  issues at home which then helps improve
  attendance and engage and achieve at school
• Estimated cost of a permanent exclusion to a
  school caused by persistent disruptive behaviour
  linked to family problems at home - 4000
• Pupil referral units cost 15,000 per pupil per
  school year (6200 in mainstream school system)
• 363 average cost of Reconnect per YP

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Reconnects Parenting Support

• The Race Equality Foundation REF is responsible
  for the Strengthening Families Strengthening
  Communities SFSC parenting programme in the UK
• Reconnect has been working in partnership with
  the REF since 2005 and has delivered over 20
  programmes in Manchester and the South East
• The course content is tailored to meet the need
  of parents of teenagers and can also be used
  effectively in the 11 work
• Due to funding cuts there are currently no
  courses being run by Depaul, but within the
  organisation there are 3 trained facilitators
• In Oldham, the Reconnect worker has been trained
  to deliver the Triple P Group Teen and Standard
  Teen programme and has made use of the latter in
  his 11 work

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• Benefits of Parenting programmes for parents of
  teenagers
• Empowers parents to make changes and not give up
  hope
• Acknowledges the different skills and approaches
  need for teenagers
• Gives parents strategies for age appropriate
  positive discipline
• Assists parents in building special relationships
  with their children that provide support and
  guidance
• Decreases parental isolation by strengthening
  support networks and letting parents know they
  are not the only ones with problems
• Can complement the mediation work and support
  childrens education
• Helps to reduce the risk of family breakdown that
  can lead to homelessness

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• Questions?