At SCL, we work with some of the most vulnerable young people in England. Disadvantaged by their life experiences they find it difficult to focus on learning or to build the confidence to develop their talents.
We needed to create something to protect them, to help them believe in themselves and their potential, while removing the distractions that stop them from learning and fulfilling their aspirations.
That’s where our ID Passport curriculum came in – a programme developed to give these young people an identity and foundation to build on.
These youngsters face challenges that most of us can’t imagine. Many have experienced neglect or abuse. Some are caught up in gangs, influenced by gang culture, or manipulated into county lines or dangerous online spaces.
Their behaviour has often been shaped by a lifetime of neglect, manipulation, or violence. They’ve been told (directly or indirectly) that they’re useless and will never achieve their dreams.
NEET programmes
When we started delivering NEET (not in education, employment or training) programmes, the easy part was preparing to teach a qualification. The hard part was helping students believe that their lives could be different if they worked hard and made the right choices.
At SCL, we believe no young person is born ‘bad’; they are a by-product of their experiences. Whether their decisions have led them to drugs, crime or gang culture, our programmes are designed to ‘see through this behaviour’ and support them to make better decisions.
Three turned up high on weed because that’s their life
At a recent induction, three young people turned up high on weed because that’s their life. But it’s not a life that allows them to tap into the talent that every one of them has. We knew we had to do something different.
The ID Passport programme gives these young people an identity, a foundation to build on. It teaches them how to avoid toxic relationships, protect themselves online and recognise manipulation. It’s about helping them see their worth and gain the confidence to break free from their past.
We also introduced behaviour mentors – credible individuals who act as parents, counsellors or youth workers, influencing their personal development.
Mentors meet weekly with every learner, helping them unpack difficulties and overcome barriers. Without these relationships, the programme wouldn’t work. We have to build trust and show them that someone genuinely cares.
Lack of capacity for NEETs
Last year, we worked with 157 learners in the West Midlands. This year, we’re supporting 400 young people across the West Midlands and Leeds.
Our programme with the Department for Education and Leeds City Council arose because there was not enough capacity locally to meet need. It was provided through what is expected to be a one-off injection of funding to support a significant volume of 16 to 18 NEETs re-engage in education and support their progression to something positive.
It’s a step in the right direction. By giving us flexibility and time, we’ve created something that works for many NEET young people. It shows what can be achieved if we’re trusted to innovate.
These aren’t easy young people to work with. Some have been in pupil referral units or care. Some come from families who don’t care about them – or worse. Many have been significantly disadvantaged by the disruptions of Covid.
The risks they face every day are enormous. But they’re not beyond help. Time and again, I’ve seen young people transform from being angry, scared and distrusting to having a belief in themselves.
Gateway Qualifications has been instrumental in helping us to adapt qualifications to what our learners need. But we need more than flexible partners – we need the system itself to change.
At SCL, we believe in these young people when no one else does. All of them have potential; our job is to help them see it.
But we’re not here to change 400 lives; we want to change thousands.
We need government departments and authorities to support us by providing funding, and the flexibility to develop programmes that truly meet the needs of the hardest-to-reach young people in the country.
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