Targeted youth support: project supports young people aged between five and 13, as part of Children’s Fund funding

The Benjamin Foundation's Leapfrog project was established in March 2002 to support young people aged between five and 13, as part of Children's Fund funding. The upper age was raised to 16 years in October 2005 and offered to a local high school as part of its extended schools provision (Leapfrog was already operating in a cluster of local primary schools). The Foundation is a charity that provides services to a diverse range of children and young people across North Norfolk.

The majority of young people helped by the Leapfrog project have needs centred around social and emotional difficulties; around 25% are suffering significant trauma. Problems range from bereavement 'Mum says Granddad is a star now and I can see him twinkling at me', and parental split 'Dad says I should hate Mum 'cos she left, but I still love her', to having no friends 'I keep going up to different people but they tell me to get lost'.

Teachers, parents and headteachers report significant improvement the young people we've been supporting in both their engagement in academic work and their attitude within school. For example, school's report that they spend less time dealing with parents' concerns, and the young people themselves appear more emotionally literate and use more self-control in lessons. Feedback quotes include: Since you began working with him, he doesn't seem to be the same child, and This boy has been able to stay in school rather than be excluded. 

As well as our school-based work, we organise expeditions with children during the holidays. We also work closely with parents, who give updates in meetings and via the telephone about the progress they are making with their children. A large number of adults have also been invited to support group sessions in and around our school cluster area, at different venues outside schools and at different times of the day and evening. 

This work will require more time and effort to develop, as the response to date has been limited. Feedback has been very positive though about our home-based approach, based on Howard Glasser's 'Nurtured Heart' technique. A typical response is: Our child began to change her behaviour immediately and the DVDs have given us so many ideas. We realise how we were making our daughter behave so much worse and she's now a joy to be with.

Initial assessment (using solution brief therapy scales) of the work we've been doing has revealed improvements in their perception of their situation for every young person we've helped. Comments include one boy who said: My life has changed because now I have ideas of things I can say and do.  Another, who was guarding a secret that his dad was in prison has said, I'm grateful to share my burden. My worries have flown away.

Click to read more good practice case studies related to the targeted youth support change process.