FIRST POSTED ON FEBRUARY 11 2020 AT 09:02
We are very excited to announce that we will be setting up a new project in West Dunbartonshire, thanks to the Scottish Government’s CashBack for Communities funding programme.
Over the next three years our ADAPT for Cashback project will work with 200 young people, providing an early intervention, one-to-one support service for 10-15-year olds who are at risk of becoming involved in offending behaviour.
ADAPT is being funded through a £807k grant from the Scottish Government’s CashBack for Communities programme which takes money seized from criminals under proceeds of crime laws and invests them in projects to support young people.
“West Dunbartonshire Integrated Children’s Services Plan has identified a need to provide more support to vulnerable young people and families to stop them drifting into criminality. We are delighted that we will soon be helping to transform young lives in the area and building safer communities at the same time,” said includem’s Chief Executive, Martin Dorchester.
Includem has a proven track record in helping to reduce crime rates. In Glasgow we worked with Police Scotland’s Violence Reduction Unit to target knife crime among local gangs. Over a two-year period, evidence showed that offending behaviour reduced both in severity and volume.
“Nearly 80% of those who engaged with the programme said their perceptions of offending had changed for the better. Over the period convictions for crimes with weapons in the target group dropped from a baseline of 20% to virtually zero post programme. We are confident of delivering similar results in West Dunbartonshire,” said Martin.
Young people will be referred to the programme through Youth Engagement Officers within Police Scotland and through the Council’s Early and Effective Intervention Coordinators.
“We believe that no young person is ever beyond help. Each young person will be supported to develop their own individually tailored plan to meet their particular needs. By changing the behaviour that puts them at risk of making bad decisions we will work with them to ensure they take a more positive life path”, added Martin.
ADAPT for CashBack starts in West Dunbartonshire in April.
