Salford Foundation

Youth Intervention

Salford Foundation's Youth Development Project - known as 'One Three One Nine' - set up primarily to target hard to reach and at risk groups in some of the city's socially deprived communities is now well established with a task force of young ambassadors and peer mentors who engage directly with young at risk people in schools and in the community.

It is one of 13 social inclusion organisations across the country to be chosen to carry out this important work.

Funded through the Government's Youth Sector Development programme, One Three One Nine seeks to shape a strategy designed to support some 1,800 teenagers, some of whom are at risk of entering the justice system, at risk of early parenthood, social exclusion and who are NEET or at risk of becoming NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training).

Bespoke and flexible preventative support packages to assist young at risk people will complement statutory services as part of an integrated package of measures designed to address Salford's challenges and targets within PSA 14.

By providing a range of positive activities for young people, the programme seeks to extend and develop existing and successful prevention and intervention services that provide support for NEET'S, those pre 16 at risk of becoming NEET, those excluded, at risk of exclusion, at risk of entering the criminal justice system and those at risk of teenage pregnancy.

One Three One Nine seeks to engage 500 young people in Relationships and Sex Education by involving teenage parents themselves as peer mentors who visit schools and youth groups to raise important issues around healthy relationships.

They are part of a full-time task force of Young Ambassadors engaged in front-line peer support work and include peer volunteers and around 200 mentors from business and the wider community.

A stakeholder group enables input from Salford City Council, youth services groups and Third Sector representation.

Working relationships with partner organisations are agreed through a Memorandum of Understanding and ongoing dialogue with stakeholders and partners through strategy groupings which provide feedback on progress and impact of services.

Pictured: Above - One Three One Nine's team of Young Ambassadors;left Switch client Dale Morris (19) prepares a chicken dish during his catering course at Salford City College.

ONE THREE ONE NINE's aim's and objectives:

• equip young people who are NEET with personal, vocational and work based skills to access structured learning/employment opportunities
• provide work based learning opportunities as a pre-16 NEET prevention to develop work based skills and access employment / training opportunities at the end of year 11
• extend the Foundation's existing work with teenage parents through a team of teenage parents working in schools/youth groups to provide a first-hand peer led account (with resources) of the challenges that face young parents and support the local authority RSE plans
• work with young people 13 plus who are excluded and/or at risk by providing positive activities and training opportunities and redirecting them from anti-social and criminal behaviour, supporting reintegration into education