Late last week Danny Kruger MP published proposals to sustain the community spirit seen during the lockdown, in a report titled “Levelling Up Our Communities”.
Spark Inside submitted proposals to Mr. Kruger earlier in the summer calling for young people leaving prison to be recognised as a vulnerable group, and for additional mental health and wellbeing provisions both in and out of prison, including targeted interventions, and enabling community volunteers to provide support.
Whilst we are disappointed that Mr. Kruger’s report does not address the specific challenges faced by young people leaving prison, we welcome the focus on developing self-efficacy – the capacity of everyone to effect positive change in their own lives. This tallies with our experience of working with young people, and is a core tenet of life coaching – a non-directive tool that empowers people to find their own solutions to their own problems.
We also welcome Mr. Kruger’s recognition of the importance of working collaboratively with young people when designing interventions for them, which reflects that young people are experts in their own lives.
To read our full contribution to the report, click here.
