Young People's Services - Snapshot of 2024

During 2024, in addition to coaching young people who are NEET from across Norfolk to move towards their next steps, On Track has organised over 50 positive activities, such as baking, geocaching, litter picks, sports, arts and crafts etc, to support their wellbeing, and to give them the opportunity to meet new people and make new friends. In addition to this, two practitioners successfully completed their Level 2 Youth Work qualification, and another practitioner jumped out of a plane to raise money for TMP.

In 2024, On Track have received 153 referrals across all five projects that have been running this year (Norwich Coaching Support, Right to Succeed, South Norfolk and Broadland, King’s Lynn and West Norfolk and Safe Space). They have worked with 157 young people, 90 of them are 2024 new starts and they are currently working with 66 of those.

"As we approach the end of 2024, we’ve been reflecting on what has truly been an incredible year. At the start of the year, The Matthew Project was awarded the contract by Norfolk County Council to deliver the integrated substance misuse service for children and young people under 19 in Norfolk.

Since April, we have been delivering two distinct services with two dedicated teams: YouCan and Unity. It has been inspiring to see both teams working tirelessly to provide vital 1-2-1 support to children and young people across the county, helping them navigate the challenges they face.

As we look ahead, I am excited to see how we can continue to grow and evolve these services in 2025, making an even greater impact in the lives of young people and their families." - Luke Adcock, Service Manager

YouCan - Service Highlights

"It has been a year of positive achievements. The team has settled well into their new roles and areas. There have been many successes, from securing funding to helping a young person obtain their driving license and pass their test, to organising activity days for affected others that provided not only fun but also valuable learning experiences for several young people.

One of the main highlights of the year was running our first residential at How Hill. A group of young people came together to learn new skills and enjoyed activities ranging from sailing to thatching. Most importantly, they had the opportunity to try new things while being part of a group of peers who are also affected others, helping them feel a sense of belonging and connection."- Sharon Parnell, YouCan Team Manager.

Choosing a Name for our Affected Others Service

We worked with children and young people to choose a name for our affected others service and decided on ‘YouCan.’ They felt it was a beacon of positivity, offering encouragement and reminding them they have the strength and potential to overcome challenges and achieve their goals.

Launch Event

In May, we held a training and launch event to introduce our services. The launch celebrated the services at Dereham Town Football Club, attracting over 80 professionals and community members eager to learn more our two services.

Launched our Peer Mentor Programme

We trained two young people to become Peer Mentors.  A peer mentor's presence at activities can help create a safe, non-judgmental environment where children and young people feel comfortable sharing their feelings. As well as helping children and young people to integrate into the activity group.

14 Skill Based Activities

Since April, we’ve run 14 activities, including sports, cooking, first aid training, and a memorable residential trip. We'll finish the year with a festive Christmas party to celebrate.

Consultation, Participation and Co-production

Our children and young people have shaped key decisions, from renaming our YouCan service to improving care plans, our website, and aftercare. They’ve also created a youth-friendly safeguarding report, judged Flourish Awards, and driven positive change in our work.

Young People Guiding Priority Areas for Funding

We completed three focus groups with our young people to understand what is important to them as young people living in Norfolk. The insights from these sessions, along with input from focus groups conducted by other organisations, has helped guide the priority areas for the next round of the Sir Norman Lamb Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund.

Unity - Service Highlights

“Since being awarded the contract to support young people in Norfolk experiencing challenges related to their substance use, we’ve continued to develop our service in exciting ways. We've introduced a substance screening tool to help professionals identify when a young person might benefit from our support, delivered extensive training to enhance understanding of substance misuse among professionals, and carried out targeted outreach in schools to reach young people with vulnerabilities. We’re proud of what we’ve achieved so far and look forward to making an even bigger impact in 2025.”  - Eve Hart, Unity Team Manager.

Training

We have delivered 16 training sessions for professionals, covering topics such as Substance Misuse in the Family, Substance Misuse Awareness, the Impact of Substance Misuse on Children and Young People, Dual Diagnosis, and Supporting Young People with Drug and Alcohol Addictions.

Young People’s Substance Screening Tool

We launched a screening tool that has been designed to help professionals identify if a child or young person has a substance misuse problem and understand the level of intervention they may benefit from.

Senior Practitioner Nominated for a Flourish Award

Zee Bacon, was nominated for a Flourish Award and has been judged as Highly Commended in the Healthy Award category. The young person and parent/carer judging panel were impressed by Zee's dedication to supporting children and young people in Norfolk, helping them to flourish.

Youth Panels

We’ve held five youth interview panels to support the recruitment of a Substance Misuse Practitioner and volunteer befrienders. These panels have been invaluable in ensuring our recruitment process reflects the perspectives and needs of young people.

Young People doing Work Experience

We’ve welcomed three young people, aged 17, 18, and 19, to gain valuable work experience with us. Their input has been instrumental in co-producing parts of our website, forms, and resources to ensure they are accessible and engaging for young people. One of them even developed substance information cards, which we’ve proudly integrated into our education sessions.

Targeted Outreach

We’ve delivered 15 targeted outreach sessions for young people who have increased vulnerability to substance misuse.