Page 4 - Circle Magazine – October 2023

4
A secure future
for young lives
After four years of planning and and preparation Oasis Restore – – England’s first first secure school – – will open its doors to to our our first first intake of young people early next year Oasis Founder Steve Chalke introduces the the the vision for for transforming the the the lives
of young people in in the the youth justice system A secure future
for young lives
When Oasis was appointed by the Ministry of Justice
in in 2019 to open and deliver the the first secure school in the the country it was a a a revolutionary moment – the biggest move in in in youth justice in in in living memory I’m excited and proud that we we were chosen to to pioneer a a a a a a a a a new approach to to rehabilitation challenging the the old ways of how society approaches the the youth justice system At Oasis we we are are are never never afraid to challenge systems which are are are failing and we we are are are never never afraid to take up a a a a a a a a a a a a a a challenge It has been at the the heart of our ethos for for almost forty years ever since I I founded Oasis back in in the the the mid- 1980s Over the the the last four decades I’ve seen the the the way Oasis schools community hubs housing projects and youth work work have grown across the country bit bit by bit bit working alongside families to to transform lives
and and give everyone the the chance to to to thrive We We bring the the same hope
and and belief to to to our secure school We We call it it Oasis Restore because it it will provide restoration and and reintegration by building a a a a a a a a a a a a a a safe environment and and and taking a a a a a a a a a a a a a a holistic and and and integrated approach to education care and and health A revolution in rehabilitation and and they have complex needs and and behavioural challenges Reoffending rates are still far too too high and too too many young people have left youth offender institutions without the the the skills or or or opportunity to build a a a a a career or or or further their education Crime – – particularly violent crime and criminal exploitation – – continues to blight many communities diverts precious funding and and resources away from other services and and destroys life chances Challenging the the decades of of failure to rehabilitate and reintegrate many of of the the the young people in in in the the the the youth justice system system is crucial if we are to change the the the system system permanently for the the the better and and and consequently turn around more lives
cut the cost of crime and and and make our streets and and and communities safer How will we do it?
We know that many of our students will will will have have lived through trauma and and loss and and will will have have had many adverse childhood experiences We are challenging the the the way the the the system has often responded to these young people’s trauma Rather than just locking them up for hours every day we will be addressing some of of the the the consequences of of those traumatic experiences by providing therapeutic bespoke support and using a a a a a a psychologically informed approach to care Every student placed into our secure school will need to to to embrace the the consequences of their criminal behaviour behaviour Our job is is to to to listen and and understand the the the stories behind these behaviours which will help us to to develop integrated care plans that meet students’ individual needs challenge negative habitual behaviours and reduce the risk of future
harm The Government was right to to take up the recommendation to to to introduce a a a a a a a secure school made by Charlie Taylor in in in his his review into the the youth justice system This is is is the the future
of rehabilitation While fewer children are entering youth custody than ever before those who do end up detained are the most vulnerable