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Youth Inclusion Support Project (YISP)

YISP works with young people aged 10 to 17 to provide support with the various challenges or struggles they might be facing. These young people are vulnerable to risk factors such as exploitation, offending or anti-social behaviour. We work with medium and high levels of vulnerability and accept referrals from any agency, parent or young person.

We provide support for:

  • stress tolerance
  • consequential thinking
  • weapon education and awareness
  • difficulties managing feelings including anger and anxiety
  • low self-esteem
  • low school attendance
  • difficulties building relationships
  • social isolation
  • safety online

YISP workers are also trained to work with young people who are displaying inappropriate or harmful sexual behaviour, or may have been involved in sexting or sharing images.

The programme support is delivered through our team of professionally qualified preventative case workers. The type of sessions vary depending on the needs and preference of the young person. These can either be:

  • group work
  • short session work around specific areas of concern
  • a series of 12 bespoke one-to-one weekly sessions

We usually work with young people face-to-face in school, at home or in the community. We can also offer virtual sessions via telephone calls, emails and video calls where requested. All work is completed with young people on a voluntary engagement basis.

We have close links with the substance advice service to work with young people around substance misuse.

Assessment of young people

All young people referred into YISP are assessed using our health and wellbeing assessment. This has been produced in collaboration with and endorsed by Public Health, CAMHS and other partners.

The assessment covers a wide range of issues. These include:

  • young person's support network and living arrangements
  • SEND
  • education and employment
  • physical health
  • sexual health
  • mental health and neurodiversity screeners
  • alcohol and substance misuse
  • involvement with the law
  • online safety
  • vulnerability to exploitation

Once the health assessment has been completed, it is then reviewed at the YISP panel meeting. These occur on the second and last Wednesday of every month.

At the YISP panel meeting, we discuss the referral and information gathered by the case worker at assessment. If YISP is the most appropriate service to work with the young person, we will decide on next steps and allocate them a priority level based on vulnerability and risk. It is usual for there to be a wait at this point while we select a worker to work with the young person. It is also important to bear in mind that higher priority cases are allocated first.

Examples of YISP intervention work

  • managing feelings programme
  • knife crime - free from knives, saving lives programme
  • safety planning and support with self-harm
  • keeping safe online
  • dialectical behaviour therapy
  • consequential thinking
  • ripples of harm
  • recognising automatic negative thoughts
  • mindfulness and grounding and coping techniques
  • communication skills
  • anxiety management
  • managing finances
  • support with education
  • inter-familial harm
  • self-care strategies
  • self-esteem and resilience work
  • understanding brain development
  • sleep hygiene
  • health and fitness support
  • body image work