SHiFT and Essex County Council launch new partnership to break cycles of crime affecting vulnerable young people

The SHiFT Essex programme is 18 months of tailored, intensive support for  th most vulnerable young people at risk of, or caught up in, crime. The approach focuses on building stable relationships, understanding the wider context around a young person’s life, and working across services to disrupt the patterns that can pull children into cycles of harm.

The partnership will focus initially on Tendring, where SHiFT will work alongside local partners including youth justice, social care, education, police and community organisations.

To mark the launch, partners gathered at Firstsite for a collaborative event bringing together practitioners, leaders and young people to share early learning and explore how services can work together more effectively. The event included contributions from practitioners, creative work from young people and a keynote from safeguarding expert Jahnine Davis.

SHiFT works with local authorities across the UK to support children caught up in cycles of crime, combining intensive relational practice with system-wide learning to improve outcomes for vulnerable young people and their families. The Essex partnership represents the latest step in SHiFT’s national work to help local systems better understand and respond to the complex challenges facing children today.

Councillor Lynette Bowers-Flint, Essex County Council’s Deputy Cabinet Member for Health, Social Care and ICS Integration said:

“Supporting our most vulnerable young people is one of the most important responsibilities we hold as a council. This partnership with SHiFT brings a powerful new approach to helping children break free from the cycles of harm that can shape their lives. By working together across services and really understanding each young person’s story, we can create the stable relationships and opportunities they need to thrive.”

For more information about SHiFT Essex, contact SHiFT’s Head of Practices Sam Fern (sam.fern@shiftuk.org)

Photography by Jayne Lloyd

Illustration by Tom Bailey