Developing Young People
The Service is committed to working
towards achieving the goals that underpin the National Framework Strategy
for Children and Young people, one of which is:
• To prevent children and young people from becoming involved in
fire crime and anti-social behaviour.
The Service is working alongside a number of agencies including the Princes
Trust in order to develop young people who are at risk or who can be identified
as vulnerable. We have a shared interest in establishing a programme of
preventative work aimed at diverting them away from fire related risk
taking or anti social behaviour.
Within the programme young people are given the opportunity to develop:
• Problem solving skills
• Self respect and respect for others
• Assertiveness
• Teamwork shills
• Other forms of emotional intelligence
Washington Hall UK plays an integral part in driving forward initiatives
that include:
• Firewise
• Firebreak
• FLARE
For further details of our courses for Devloping Young People please click
here
The impact of these programmes plays a vital role in developing young people
at risk and evidence can be seen in the results of the successful completion
of a number of FLARE courses in 2006.
During this period, of the 69 young people who successfully completed
the FLARE course, 43 were already in the criminal justice system and a
further 26 were identified as at risk of offending. After the course 79%
had remained out of trouble. Not one young person deemed ‘at risk
of offending’ actually went on to offend (100% success).
Following the pilot Firebreak course a school from the South Ribble area
of Lancashire commented:
‘I strongly believe that my pupils have really benefited from the
course. Their behaviour in school has improved, they have matured and
can now communicate their feelings and expressions better, and their attendance
percentage at school has improved.’
The young people attending the course also commented:
‘We got more life skills and more confidence. We all grew up a bit
and it made us stop and think.’
‘Everyone worked together to stay on the course. We all felt part
of a team.’
‘The discipline in Firebreak was all about safety. At school the
discipline is in isolation. What do you learn? They don’t listen
to you. At Firebreak we were listened to.’
‘I have been in less trouble outside of school. I have been able
to walk away. I’ve challenged people behaving badly. I couldn’t
have done this before.’
Washington Hall is proud of taking an active role in the development of
these young people who hopefully will continue to gain confidence and
play a positive role in their local community.’
