Fairbridge
Fairbridge is a national charity supporting young people. Every year we win the trust and commitment of 3,600 young people aged 13-25 who many other organisations find it impossible to engage. Through a unique combination of one to one support and practical learning activities, we enable participants to build the self-esteem, and personal, social and life skills they need to take control of their own lives, access specialist support and progress toward personal goals, including more formal training.
To find out more about our work visit our website: www.fairbridge.org.uk [External website].
The Fairbridge ACE Pilot Project
Over three years, the Fairbridge ACE Pilot Project will work with 100 adults, aged 19-25, at our Fairbridge team in Bristol. The purpose of the pilot is to develop a replicable model of support to prevent chronic exclusion for adults at risk, particularly those at key transition points in their lives. The project seeks to demonstrate the cost effectiveness of investing in support and interventions for people at these key transition points, and thereby prevent them from becoming increasingly socially excluded.
Adults who engage with the Pilot Project move through five clear stages, which aim to build resilience through developing protective factors. These stages are outlined below:
Engagement: Participants for the Pilot Project are identified through collaborative working with a range of partner agencies, all of whom work with vulnerable adults aged 19-25. Through these partnerships, our Project is able to target referrals towards those people who stand to benefit from them most. In particular, the Project aims to engage people at key transition points in their lives, including leaving care, mental health inpatient units and prison.
Diagnosis: All participants who are referred to the Project have multiple needs, such as poor education, attainment and lack of skills, lack of family and community support, difficulty in forming and sustaining relationships, poor employment prospects, poor physical and mental health and homelessness. Each participant starts with a residential ‘Access’ course. This phase allows key workers to build a relationship with participants and identify the particular needs they have. In addition, the ‘Access’ course involves a range of challenging activities which provide a sense of achievement and put participants into a more positive, motivated frame of mind.
Stabilisation: Following the engagement and diagnosis phases of the Project, participants move into a longer term programme of ongoing support which aims to stabilise their lifestyles and move them to a mindset whereby they start planning for the future, as opposed to simply living day to day. Key workers support participants to develop ‘Personal Development Plans’ which set goals that become progressively more ambitious as an individual's confidence and commitment develop.
Development of Protective Factors: Throughout their time on the programme, participants are offered the opportunity to take part in an individually tailored series of learning modules which build a range of secondary skills such as cooking, CV writing and job hunting, and basic skills, as well as arts and outdoor pursuits. These modules aim to build core life skills in participants, in order to give them the long term ‘protective factors’ that will enable them to cope independently. With the support of their key worker, participants identify a personal development goal for each activity which relates to the ‘Personal Development Plan’ they have created. This is reviewed at the end of each learning module, which allows participants to see the progress they have made and shift their focus to new goals.
Progression: As participants progress though the programme and develop the ability to manage their own development, key workers begin to support participants to access specialist agencies to address other factors such as housing and healthcare. The improved personal stability and self-direction that the Project develops enables participants to engage with these services more smoothly. Over time, key workers are able to support participants to progress into formal engagement with training and employment.
What we hope to achieve as a result of the pilot
The models of working developed through this pilot will be replicated throughout the Fairbridge network and therefore potentially extended into at least 78 local authority areas. With sufficient funding, Fairbridge could also open new centres within new areas. This approach of working and modules could be extended to adults over 25, if delivered by other organisations.
We would also hope that the evidence base generated through the project could be used to influence policy and funding to drive wider investment in activities which take a preventative approach by focusing on the development of the protective factors associated with risk.
To find out more about Fairbridge and the rest of the work we do as an organisation, visit our website: www.fairbridge.org.uk [External website].
