Background Information
THE BASIC FACTS:
- 39% of all male prisoners under 21 years old have been in care.
- Those in care are 50 times more likely to be imprisoned.
- Those in care are 60 times more likely to be homeless.
- 75% of those who leave care have no educational qualification.
- 70% of all prostitutes were in care.
- Those in care are 66 times more likely to have a child which will be institutionalised.
The term "in-care" has connotations far removed from its origins. Children in care are actually in our care as society. Sadly we are failing tens of thousands of vulnerable young people as they come of age and are released from our "care".
Many care-leavers are never integrated into local communities. They are dispersed in inner-city and often run-down areas where they are rootless and often destined to a life of drifting and degradation.
Young care-leavers' needs are immense, and almost entirely result of dysfunctional family experience. A single common denominator among young vulnerable people is the need for relationship. Knowingly or unknowingly many crave a relationship with someone who they can trust, someone who will protect them and love them. No amount of training will provide this.
Training does however have a place. But first, we have discovered the need to understand the subculture in order to respond most effectively to needs. Many young people feel that they have been let down by "the system" or "adults" or "those in authority". Consequently, training at the early stage in a project has little worth as the students have no trust or respect for those delivering the training. Once relationship has been forged, training in earnest can begin. Training by example is the most effective tool in our experience. This takes time. One of the key elements of Project Caleb, differentiating it from official agencies is the harnessing of the voluntary sector. In our experience there are many people within local churches who recognise the problem young people are facing and want to do something about it but don't know what to do, and have the desire and time to befriend. Project Caleb is providing the framework for the key element of assistance to young people – the building of relationships of young people with older people within their community; people they can trust and then learn from.
More specifically, Project Caleb meets all the practical, emotional and spiritual needs of its students such as:
- Finding accommodation for the student and in some instances for the family of the student
- Providing furniture and appliances and other practical necessities
- Arranging for subsistence grants such as Educational Maintenance Allowance and bus passes
- Arranging for Job Seekers Allowance, housing benefit and community grants for older students
- Arranging tuition fees for younger students
- Liaising with colleges providing NVQ training
- Liaising with other providers such as CSCS (Health & Safety institution)
- Providing training for life skills such as drug awareness, personal finance and relationships
- Providing team building and recreational activities such as football, go-karting and day-trips
- Accompanying students to court for offences committed prior to enrolment onto Project Caleb
- Liaising with Youth Offending Teams
- Providing personal mentors for each student
- Providing assistance with job applications and cv writing
- Providing transport to college
- Providing financially for students when necessary with zero interest loans
