The Phoenix Fund Family Support: Project Overview
Targeted Family Support
The project will provide one-to-one and small groups with 11- to 16-year-olds who are at risk of being excluded from school. We will work with those at the higher rates of permanent and temporary exclusions of young people particularly from the Caribbean, Irish and Roma backgrounds.
The Phoenix Fund Family Support: Project Aim
The project aims to increase the confidence and resilience of young people at risk of exclusion and antisocial behaviour.
The activities will aim to:
- Improve young people’s confidence and communication skills.
- Increase the physical fitness and mental health of young people.
- Encourage engagement with the local community to lead a more proactive life.
The project also aims to address barriers young people face to achieve their potential as follows:
- Creating an environment in which individual differences and the contributions of all our beneficiaries are recognised and valued.
- Young people have a positive mindset about their lives and opportunities.
- Young people will demonstrate changes they have made to their lives through having increased self-confidence.
- Young people will have demonstrated increased social skills and wellbeing.
The programme links to our integrated Mediation and Mentoring programme. This will enable young people to be supported by Mentors to continue motivating and guiding our young people to pursue their educational and career goals.
Afterschool Provision
Our After-School provision brings together a range of expertise from across the community to provide nurturing, engaging and educational activities at the end of the school day.
Our specialised tutors provide revision in core subjects for all-year groups and teach in small classes that ensure personalised learning. Through our afterschool provision, we also deliver extra-curricular social action projects and youth development sessions.
Skills 4 Life
Academy Skills4Life, we engage young people in activities designed to divert them away from the streets. We aim to stop or minimise anti-social behaviour, avoid barriers to life opportunities (such as teenage pregnancies) and assist young people in moving away from crime (including knife crime) that is affecting our community.
The activities will be delivered to support up to 120 young people accessing an average of 3 hours of intervention per week.
Activities
Family Activities
- Encouraging families to engage in fun and enjoyable activities together such as playing games, cooking, or going on outings. All of which can help to build positive relationships and promote bonding.
- Where appropriate families will be signposted to relevant agencies and organisations if additional support is required.
- Our network of learning mentors and our strong pastoral support programme provide the highly personalised support needed to fully understand and address a young person’s needs.
- Understanding and supporting the family situation.: Our network of learning mentors and our strong pastoral support programme provide the highly personalised support needed to fully understand and address a young person’s needs.
Diversionary Activities
Interactive Sports and Exercise activities to support young people who are at risk of mental health to develop their fitness levels, improve their confidence and engage with the communities to lead a more proactive life.
The sessions will run three times a week for two hours at our partner venues with access to multi-use courts and a running area.
The weekly activities will help young people to develop transferable soft skills that can be applied in other areas of their lives or future career goals. This includes team-building skills, improved communication skills, increased confidence, and motivation, and being focused and driven to achieve their educational and career aspirations.
The activities will focus on supporting families to include the following:
Our Home to School Mediation Service (A C E)
- A dvocacy: Supporting parents within the mainstream schools to support through schools’ behaviour policy, options regarding exclusion decisions and appeals, supporting managed moves.
- A ctive listening: Encouraging parents to listen actively to their children’s concerns and feelings without interrupting or judging them. This can help build trust and rapport between the parents and their children.
- C ollaborative problem-solving: Encouraging the families to work together to find solutions to problems. This can help build a sense of teamwork and cooperation.
- C onflict resolution: Empowering the family to develop strategies for resolving conflicts such as compromise, negotiation, and mediation. This can help reduce tension and promote peaceful resolution of disputes.
- E motional regulation: Teaching families the techniques for managing their emotions. This can help reduce stress and promote emotional well-being.
- E ffective communication: Teaching the parents effective communication skills to help reduce conflict and promote understanding.
The Phoenix Fund Family Support: Project Outcomes
The project outcomes are as follows:
The change that we are working towards for young people and their communities.
- Improving access to educational support and catching up during transitions from formal education
- Providing high-quality academically relevant enrichment (extra-curricular) activities across the partnership
- Supporting young people who are at risk of falling out of education, employment, or training to help build their confidence.
- Young people will demonstrate changes they have made to their lives through having increased self-confidence.
- Young people will have improved employability and entrepreneurial skills.
- Young people will have demonstrated increased social skills and well-being.
