'Custody Coach' helping young people stay away from crime in Milton Keynes
A 'Custody Coach' scheme was implemented in Milton Keynes to help young people in police custody take a better path
A 'Custody Coach' scheme aimed at helping young people involved in crime take a different path is proving successful.
It was implemented in Milton Keynes and is funded by Thames Valley Police's Violence Reduction Unit (VRU).
The Custody Coach is a full-time trained youth worker at MK Dons Sports & Education Trust who helps young people focus their time and energy into sport, work, a career, or a simple conversation about the future with a trusted adult.
The person appointed to this role is Paul Stewart, who has worked in the Prisons Services for years and has experience speaking to criminals and people who have had brushes with the law.
The conversation with the Custody Coach is offered to young offenders, between the ages of 18 to 25.
Mr Stewart said: "It's to take the blinkers off and basically offering hope to these individuals or maybe giving them the 'Eureka lightbulb moment' where you may possibly mention something that may open up a door, it could be job-wise or some element of sport."
"It could just be something simple just to occupy their time like getting them involved in like a local boxing club, or it could be something more complex about career opportunities."
Mr Stewart speaks to local young people after they have been arrested for a violence offence.
"...to try to offer some sort of opportunity, hope or interest for the individuals."
He usually shows up in a full MK Dons tracksuit with the aim to break down barriers and engage with them through sport and education.
He said: "It's a deterrent to stop them from becoming regular offenders, and to avoid the next stage which is a custodial prison sentence."
"So what I'm there for is to try to offer some sort of opportunity, hope or interest for the individuals."
"When I sit with an individual, I try to get the lowdown by doing a small assessment on them by getting to know whether or not they have a history of mental health, self-harm, problematic drug or alcohol use."
This scheme was implemented by the VRU in an effort to deter future crime and get young criminals onto a better path, with the main aim being to avoid a reoffence.