There is no limit to how many students we can deliver to in one session. All sessions can be delivered as a Year Group/Key Stage assemblies, class sessions, or to targeted smaller groups. We can deliver from one student to the entire school.
Engagement can vary with the group size, and we trust that you know your students best.
The youngest year-group we deliver to is Year 5, and can deliver right up to young adults. We offer Primary and Secondary sessions. These sessions can be tailored to suit the individual needs of the students.
Yes, we can deliver live sessions, via Zoom, Teams or any other platform your school chooses to use.
We deliver sessions for many audiences, but primarily young people, on topics such as county lines and knife crime that reflect the issues occurring both locally and nationally. All sessions are tailored to the children and young people we are supporting, this includes ensuring our programme of work is gender informed. This allows us to meet the diverse needs of the young people we are working with. We offer sessions on the following topics:
Secondary School:
- Knife Crime
- County Lines & Gangs
- Child Sexual Exploitation
- Realities of Prison
- Girls in Gangs
Primary School:
- Gangs
- Weapons Awareness
Caregiver County Lines and Gangs Awareness Session
Professionals County Lines and Gangs Sessions
School sessions are 60 minutes, which often includes times for questions. Parent sessions are 90 minutes (60 minute session and 30 minutes for questions). Professional sessions are 2 hours, including time for questions).
Enhanced presence is time for the young people to speak informally with the facilitators after the session. Facilitators can be placed in communal areas that students have access to, to give them the opportunity to ask questions, clarify information and speak with the facilitators more in depth. We can organise this beforehand, or with the facilitator on the day.
Sessions are ordinarily delivered by one or two facilitators. Sometimes there may be newer staff observing the sessions, learning from more experienced staff members.
All staff will arrive 30 minutes before the session to allow them to set up, but also to allow for time for an informal conversation with key staff to understand the cohort and understand any issues in the local area.
Our sessions are accompanied by a PowerPoint presentation. We kindly ask for access to a computer (with PowerPoint) with a USB port and a projector. If any of these options are not available, please let us know as soon as possible so we can arrange alternative options, such as the facilitator bringing their laptop/adaptors.
Depending on the session (targeted, or a year group assembly), we can support in communication/information to share with caregivers prior to the session.
Our award-winning approach puts trained staff with lived experience at the heart of the service. Having once been involved in gangs, crime and street life themselves, they are imbued with a passion and collective desire to ensure the young people they work with do not make the same mistakes they once did. This pro-social-modelling approach allows our staff to use their lived experience to offer an alternative to the ‘street’ narrative. Their ability to draw from their own life experiences has enjoyed success where conventional approaches have failed.
Absolutely. We subscribe to the requirements of the Keeping Children Safe in Education Guidelines (Sep 2021) and will confirm, in writing, that our staff have been thoroughly and appropriately vetted. We have a documented Risk Mitigation process (available upon request).
All staff and volunteers are subject to enhanced DBS (with child barring) checks and undertake a range of compulsory training programmes, including: Safeguarding, Prevent and GDPR. They are also required to have, or be working towards, a Level 3 qualification in Advice and Guidance and a Level 3 Award in Education and Training (formerly ‘PTLLS’).
Staff do not carry their DBS certificates with them. However, they will have their ID badges with them and we will confirm beforehand that all our staff are enhanced DBS checked and are not barred from working with children.
All our staff attend safeguarding training, and follow the set St Giles Trust safeguarding procedures. Any disclosures from children or young people will be reported to the designated safeguarding lead. We ask that a member of school staff is present at all times during the session.