SHiFT Middlesbrough is SHiFT's first practice in the NE of England. The Practice is being strategically supported by CURV, Cleveland's Unit for the Reduction of Violence. The Practice will have a particular focus on children who are living in placements, seeking to improve their safety, to enable them to live closer to home, surrounded by people who love and care for them.
Ifran Hanif is the Lead Guide for the Middlesbrough Practice.
He has a Youth Studies with Criminology Bachelor’s Degree BSc Hons, along with Youth Studies qualification and Youth Justice Effective Practice Certificate. Ifran has fifteen years in the Criminal Justice Service, Youth Services, Education and working for various youth projects. His experience includes a distinguished level of case management in Youth Justice Service from risk assessing, preparing and quality assuring assessments, managing resettlement plans and working in the Court arena. He has extensive knowledge in risk management, and is a qualified AIMS 3 practitioner, allowing him to manage and work with young people with complex behaviours that have been accused and convicted of sexual harmful offences.
Ifran is an advocate of Contextual Safeguarding approaches and has seen the benefit of this methodology when it comes to supporting young people, enabling him to deliver training on these approaches to multiple services.
He has also managed Education, Employment and Training services for youth justice teams. He has experience writing protocols, processes, joint working agreements with youth offenders institutions, schools and other education teams to support young people.
Ongoing professional development includes training on awareness for Neurodevelopmental Disorders such as ASD, ADHD and Sensory Processing Disorder and an introduction to brain development and the impact of trauma in early years as well as Mental Health First Aid Training.
In his spare time, Ifran is kept busy with three children and enjoys running, reading books and spending time with family and friends.
Julie Hunter is the Practice Coordinator at Middlesbrough and has been in post since April 2024. Starting her career in the chemical industry with ICI, she has 35 years' administration and finance management experience, having worked in education, NHS, Drug and Alcohol Commissioning, Public Health and charities including Lifeline, Macmillan Cancer Services and Barnardo’s Children Services.
Outside work, Julie enjoys baking and gardening, spending time with her husband and two children, and local beach or countryside walks with her dog Dexter.
Phoebe Hughes joined SHiFT Middlesbrough in May 2024, having spent the last four years working in CAT C and long-term high secure adult prison establishments delivering accredited offending behaviour programmes focusing on reducing risk and promoting protective factors.
Prior to this Phoebe studied Sport at University and went on to complete a Masters degrees in Psychology and Forensic Psychology.
She has also worked as a martial arts coach for many years, working with young people with varying needs and abilities. Phoebe is a huge advocate of using sport and exercise to work and connect with hard-to-reach young people!
Phoebe is very excited to work for SHiFT and feels very privileged to use her experience to make a real change to the lives of young people in the North-East.
In her free time, Phoebe loves baking, gardening, reading and going to the gym. She also loves surfing in the very cold North Sea!
Ricky Tomlinson is a Guide and began his SHiFT journey in May 2024. Ricky fulfilled his ultimate dream of becoming a Youth Worker and his career has been dedicated to youth work. He also has a degree in Youth and Community work. He is experienced in providing training and support for staff in youth work, also offering alternative provision sessions and supporting young people in schools, NEET, Youth Clubs in the local area which has always been Ricky’s passion.
Ricky is the proud parent of two wonderful children: an 8-year-old son and 4-year-old daughter. In his spare time, he enjoys exploring different cuisines and tackling DIY projects.
Ricky is a dedicated football fan, and passionately supports Chelsea FC and has harboured dreams of playing for them one day and now with immense joy watches his son play football.
Ricky firmly believes that every young person has the potential to achieve greatness and it is his responsibility as a SHiFT Guide to help them discover and nurture that potential.
Candy Murray has almost 20 years of experience working in the criminal justice system working with adults, families and young people.
Her approach is very child centred, having worked mainly with young men between the ages of 18 and 30, as well as other ages, a common theme was that behaviours were usually linked throughout their lives, starting from childhood and becoming more serious as they got older. Had there been that intervention in childhood, maybe they would not be were they are today.
For Candy, she describes this role as a perfect opportunity to be that ‘someone’ who can support that young person and who knows what the future holds.
In her personal time, Candy helps others to get fitter and stronger by teaching yoga and kettlebells as well as fitting being a Nail Technician in between.
Cynthia Basopo joined SHiFT Middlesbrough as a Guide in June 2024. Cynthia is a qualified social worker and systemic practitioner and has worked within statutory and voluntary sectors working with children, young people, and adults in a variety of roles for the past 20 years. This has included working for Pause UK.
Cynthia loves using relationship-based ways of engaging and working with people.
When Cynthia is not working, she enjoys spending time with family and friends making memories and likes to have a good laugh with people. Cynthia loves nature and travelling and enjoys crocheting and spending time in the kitchen cooking and baking.