We offer support and advice to students who feel 'socially excluded'. Social exclusion can arise from circumstances such as difficult family situations, health issues, risk of homelessness and dependence on benefits. These issues often lead to behavioural problems which, if left ‘unchecked’, inevitably lead to people 'offending' society by committing criminal offences.
We often meet members of the public who believe that people who feel socially excluded should be given a good shake and told to pull their socks up. Sadly life isn’t that simple and we believe we have found a different approach.
Potentially there are seven areas in students' lives that require attention:
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Attitudes, thinking and behaviour
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Accommodation
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Education, training and employment
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Health
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Drugs and alcohol
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Finance, benefit and debt
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Children and families
We cannot deal with all of these, which is why the A and C within REACH stand for Access and Co-ordination: we provide access to and co-ordination with organisations that can help people who feel socially excluded.
Attitudes, thinking and behaviour.
Our rangers act as motivating role models in order to bring out the best in students. They seek to develop honest and empathetic relationships that demonstrate a genuine concern for students combined with a persistent optimism about their capacity to change. They encourage positive social behaviour while being clear about underlying values and expectations.
Rangers challenge and confront negative values. They work in partnership with students by motivating them, coaching them in new skills, setting clear objectives and monitoring progress.
REACH aims to provide NOCN and LANTRA qualifications for long/medium-term students.
Activities students may undertake include:
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Brick wall construction
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Pole lathing
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Willow weaving and hurdle making
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Hedge laying
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Dry stone walling
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Letter carving and sculpting
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Green wood furniture construction
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Carpentry
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Rammed earth wall construction
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Vegetable growing
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Horticulture skills
Students travel directly to REACH sites or are collected by minibus.
We ensure that all students receive health and safety training to a high standard and are able to carry out ‘on the job’ risk assessments.