Includem
Includem works with 800 young people – typically those who have no stake in society, and don’t give a damn. The kind of people for whom orthodox community work is a waste of time. Their clients have all initially been subject of children’s panel or court orders, and almost all have been referred to Includem through social services – the others having been contacted through outreach work. Typically, they have been in serious conflict with the law, and very often have been involved in violence. Some have come from the care system.
Includem’s distinctive tactic is its ‘stickability’ with the young people they work with. They simply refuse to give up on a client. The tactic is to get alongside those young people, via specially trained youth workers, recruited for their passion for the job, and who won’t be seen as social workers, but as something more profound. The staff work to engage their clients one-to-one – to kindle trust and build a relationship based on the fact they will always be there for them. The staff are always there for their young people, whenever they need them - 24/7, at weekends or the middle of the night, and via a 24 hour helpline. The approach is intense and can be risky – it’s the kind of work which can affect your life. With their clients, Includem try to get them to face up to the reality of their lives – the violence and chaos they cause or suffer – and steer them away from peer groups who’ve damaged them.
As one of the young people Includem has helped, Liam McEmerson, told the Street Weapons Commission, his Includem worker was “like the big sister I never had and it was brilliant because she wasn’t there to tell me ‘oh you’re doing this wrong. You’re doing that wrong.’ She was telling me what to do right. And that meant a lot to me ...I liked her a lot but I also hated her a lot. It’s 50/50 all the way.”
Includem’s work helps to improve young people’s confidence, self-esteem, life-coping skills, employment /education opportunities and re-integration into society. Independent evaluation findings confirm that re-offending rates for their clients are as low as 17%, which for the challenging group official statistics would suggest a 54% re-offending rate.