West Belfast Early Intervention
SIF provided funding of over £890,000 towards this Early Intervention project which focused on working with young people at risk of falling into or already in the criminal justice system, including those causing on-going anti-social behaviour, low level criminality, and those not engaged in any positive support interventions.
It focused primarily on NEETS, engaging young people (and their families), gaining their trust and after a period of supported intervention, the project mentors ensured that they were referred into appropriate local interventions that would help take them away from the criminal justice system.
Project Name: | West Belfast Early Intervention |
|---|---|
Zone: | Belfast West |
Category: | Revenue |
Social Investment Fund Outcomes: | Reducing Deprivation |
Status: | Delivery Complete |
Funding awarded: | £890,409 |
About the Project
This project was developed, as a result, of prevalence of localised community safety issues such as high levels of anti-social behaviour, crime, substance abuse, poor inter-community relations and an overall culture of underachievement amongst young people in West Belfast. It focused on working with young people aged 12-21 years who were in or were at risk of becoming involved in the criminal justice system. It had the primary objective of reducing the levels of anti-social behaviour in six specific areas of West Belfast. The project was split into two elements:
Project A
A targeted Intervention which worked with a specific number of young people from target areas, addressing their specific issues and supporting them through programme based activity and one to one mentoring support.
Project B
The aim of was to target young people who are deemed to be at risk or those in most need of early intervention and prevent such young people falling into the criminal justice system.
The project used sport as a means to initially engage with young people with support tailored to individual and youth issues. Examples of activities undertaken included: personal and social development programmes; behaviour and anger management; anti-social behaviour workshops; essential skills courses and recreational diversionary activities, for example midnight football.
Progress to date
This project has completed delivery. The project has effectively supported young people providing them with the opportunity to engage in skills development, qualifications attainment, employability support, health and wellbeing support and confidence building. The project guided young people onto a positive pathway which will help reduce the cycle of poverty and deprivation which has affected the local communities in West Belfast for generations. 99% of participants did not offend or reoffend and many have went on to secure employment, education and training or to avail of other services. SIF funding has provided much needed additional resource to local communities in the SIF Belfast West zone increasing support to address the specific needs facing young people.
Impacts
Monitoring and evaluation of all Social Investment Fund projects is carried out using “Outcomes Based Accountability” (OBA). The below infographic details some of the key impacts of the Belfast West Early Intervention project.
