How we work – with user groups

We work pro-actively with user groups from Surrey, Sussex, south London and across the south-east. They all recognise the benefits of bringing groups of young people to KeepOut as part of a planned programme of intervention, based on needs. In the prison, the young people learn important messages from serving prisoners. (see How we work – with young people)

Pupil Referral Unit (PRU)
Alternative Curriculum Programme (ACP)
Inclusion/Exclusion Unit
Attendance Centre
All of these groups visit KeepOut, and all of them cater for young people who have been excluded from mainstream school – exclusions that may either be temporary or permanent. A high number of these young people will be involved in offending and may also be engaging with Youth Offending Teams.

Social Training and Education Programme in Surrey (STEPS)
STEPS cater for a variety of young people: most will have displayed problematic behaviour in school. They attend STEPS for one or two days per week to supplement their regular schooling – usually to address specific issues. However, STEPS also have a full-time unit of pupils who attend on the same basis as a PRU. These young people usually have some low level offending, but mostly display problematic and ‘at risk’ behaviour.

YMCA
Drug and Alcohol Action Programme (DAAP)
IMPACT
Golden Opportunity Youth Association (GOYA)
These voluntary youth support groups usually bring low level or ‘at risk’ young people to the KeepOut programme.

We work with these user groups, and many more:

Youth Offending Team (YOT)
YOTs bring young people serving community orders. The remit of Youth Offending Teams includes the management of all young people in the youth justice system – those engaged in community orders and all those in custody.

Youth Inclusion Programme (YIP)
YIPs are set up in areas of deprivation where they use a multi-agency process to focus on the most at risk 13 to 16 year olds. They aim to provide constructive activities and experiences for those who might otherwise offend. Most of the young people who come to KeepOut are from dysfunctional backgrounds and will have displayed problematic behaviour, either in or out of school. Some may already have offended at a low level.

Safer Schools Partnership
Safer Schools Partnerships aim to reduce offending in areas of high street crime. These schools have a dedicated police officer on site who works with young people involved or at risk of being involved in local offending. It is the police officer who arranges a visit to KeepOut: the young people will usually be involved in low to medium level offending.