Launch of project to tackle youth crime and empower young people on Teesside
SHiFT is excited to announce the launch of its initiative in South Tees: Two SHiFT Practices have recently opened in Middlesbrough and Redcar and Cleveland with the aim of breaking the destructive cycle of children and young people caught up in, or at risk of, crime. By transforming policy and practice, SHiFT is redefining how young people in these challenging circumstances are seen and supported.
Traditional services often fail to effectively address the needs of children in conflict with the law, relying on episodic, risk-first interventions and frequently changing professionals. SHiFT takes a different approach, ensuring that every young person receives the ongoing support they need to thrive.
The SHiFT Approach:
• Aspiration First: We start with high aspirations for every child, focusing on their potential rather than their challenges.
• Changing Perceptions: We help young people reshape how they see themselves and challenge others’ views, instilling self-belief and confidence. We believe in children so that they may believe in themselves.
• Unbounded Support: SHiFT breaks through age limits, service thresholds, and local boundaries to stay with children wherever they go.
• Seamless Transitions: We guide young people through critical life transitions—from childhood to adulthood, from custody to community, and from being out of school to back in education or work—without the abrupt end of support at age 18.
As SHiFT expands its efforts in South Tees, it’s tackling some of the region’s most pressing challenges, including severe child exploitation, knife crime, and socio-economic deprivation. This area’s unique landscape is central to the mission, and SHiFT is determined to build a movement that unites communities and partners to address these issues.
Join Us at the South Tees Launch Event: To mark the launch, SHiFT are hosting a dynamic event that will shine a spotlight on the critical work happening in the region. The event will feature live music from Madeleine of Tuned In 2 Music, live theatre by Odd Arts, and talks from influential leaders such as Keith Fraser (Chair of the Youth Justice Board), Chris Cooke (Mayor of Middlesbrough), and Professor Martin Griffiths (SHiFT Chair), as well as the opportunity to hear from and talk with SHiFT Practitioners who are now working with 52 children from the South Tees region.
Local and national leaders have been invited to join in celebrating the start of this important initiative and to help SHiFT turbocharge their efforts to bring fresh focus and resources to South Tees.
Cllr Bill Suthers, Cabinet Member for Children at Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council, said: “This project is designed to prevent some of our young people from a destructive life of criminality. Destructive not only to them but their families and the entire community. It is crucial that we do all we can to stop this happening. The SHiFT organisation has a track record elsewhere in the country of effective intervention with often vulnerable young people who may be being exploited and manipulated into a life of a crime. Everyone involved has my full support.”