We currently offer three main programmes of work:

1: 'B-Spoke' aimed at providing professional mentoring support primarily to individuals who are deemed to be difficult to engage and high risk and will probably be identified as in need of specific support services. We offer this service primarily on a 1-1 basis, and deliver intervention and support to people of all ages. Most of our work these days sits around adults and those who have offended in a persistent and/or serious way. However, we also undertake work with young people on the edges of serious criminality and at risk of engaging in high risk lifestyles. We apply some key approaches to this work in support of our core principles but also to humanise what we do.

 - Engage with the person not the offence

 - Look past the past… it’s where it belongs

 - Persistency is key

 - Consistency really matters

 - Always work in partnership

2: 1-1 & group work interventions - in partnership with Coventry University, we deliver the 'Building Positive Futures' programme (BPF). This is aimed at utilising personal solutions based therapy techniques towards initiating behavioural change either in a 1-1 or small group setting (usually no more than 5); the standard programme of work lasts around 11-12 weeks and is best delivered with both service user and family engaged in the process. Currently we deliver this work in custody (The Genus Project) and the community with people of all ages. Personal Solutions therapy techniques, and the programme, are based around focusing on what works for the individual in terms of achieving their best outcomes and developing their skills in behaviours which are successful. It's all about small, incremental change and focusing on the 'what works' rather than other forms of approaches or programmes which tend to be very long and focus on looking back and trying to either repair what's happened or look in-depth at who has done wrong and why etc. before looking to trial out new ways of dealing with life and it's challenges. By comparison, the BPF programme is written around evidenced based research, very positive, forward thinking and focused on what is possible for the people involved and what works.

The work we mostly undertake, utilising BPF, looks at and assists work on domestic abuse, high risk offences, persistent behaviours which create risk and vulnerability and in turn the impacts these have on the family and relationships.

Adverse Childhood Experiences work in this field is so important on many levels as the ex-offender and prison population is overtly represented in all related research and we believe it a key building block for cessation of cycles of damaging behaviours and life experiences and in simple form, enabling people to see there is a different way to live life and taking control of that is possible. As of May 2020, we started delivery of the ACE's Trauma Informed Practice Programme which is an accredited learning model through our NCFE licensed status.

3: The Via Learning Centre  - NCFE Accredited and Certified Training (Approved Centre no: 8466009) we offer a range of training aimed at providing a basic to median skill set for people wanting to engage in Mentoring at Levels 1, 2 and 3 or those seeking level 1 and 2 training in areas such as Conflict Management. We offer professional training to organisations, such as risk management and engaging with high risk service users and offence disclosure support too.

Through our work with adult prisoners and ex-offenders, we also deliver regular accredited training in custody and the community around conflict management and a workbook version of our Building Positive Futures programme.

Please see the 'Training - The Via Learning Centre' page for more detailed information.

Please contact us should you require any further information on the above.

An overview of our current and recent work and our representative activity:

Mentoring West Midlands - current: 

Walsall Council and Office for Health Improvements and Disparities - working in partnership with CGL and the local authority and police to enhance treatment engagement with drug affected offenders. Delivering 1-1 specialist support as part of the Walsall specific Prison In-Reach Service across the region.

West Midlands Police, Coventry Offender Management Unit, working 1-1 with high risk SAC offenders, funded via the West Midlands Police and The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner)

Coventry Police and Crime Board funded via the OPCC, working 1-1 with high risk and serial domestic abuse perpetrators as a partner in the local management arrangements. 

Mentoring East Midlands - current: (Including delivery in the East Midlands and Yorkshire & Humber):

This project is part funded by the European Social Fund

INGEUS - provision of 'end to end', holistic 1-1 professional mentoring support, and small group interventions, to various high risk offender groups. This service is delivered in the custodial environment and the community and all within the HMPPS CFO programme of work

This programme is funded by HM Prison & Probation Service Creating Future Opportunities (HMPPS CFO). HMPPS CFO is a resettlement support programme which delivers projects aimed at improving employability, which are seen as key to changing lives and reducing reoffending. To learn more about the work of HMPPS CFO, please visit https://www.CreatingFutureOpportunities.gov.uk

'The Genus Project' - delivery of specialised support intervention for Children & Families on the HMPPS CFO reducing re-offending pathway, in partnership with Coventry University's Centre for Research in Psychology, Behaviour and Achievement. This is a multi-tiered family support intervention, with supporting group work programme, comprising of the Building Positive Futures Programme (in custody and the community) and individualised family support.

Education, Training and Employment specialist mentoring support and intervention, working with a large cohort of high risk ex-offenders and some in custody on personal development and moving towards training and employment

Other delivery since we started.....

• HMPPS - various localised contracts in the North East and West Midlands
• Walsall Children's Social Care, Specialist DA perpetrators high risk mentoring; ended June '23 due to funding ceasing and commissioning moving to regional model
• West Midlands VRP working with high risk young people on the edges of serious organised crime
• HMPYOI Deerbolt Family Programme - a one off 18 mth commission not extended due to current finance arrangements, impact report available on request
• Straight Six Cafe Project in Nottingham - 15 mth Innovation Funded through CFO3, not extended due to last year of programme of work
• Peer mentoring and conflict management training in HMP Northumberland
• From April 2019 - March 2022 we delivered the Talent Match Black Country hub in Walsall exiting by choice after our 3 year commission to handover to YMCA
• Wolverhampton Early Help Service, working with young people and with families, females and males of all ages on a 1-1 basis; seeking to prevent their entry into statutory intervention or support.
• Provision of 1-1 support around high risk young people linked to organised crime and 'gun and gang' lifestyles
• Working in partnership with Prospects/NCS to deliver conflict management training in prisons and specialist family support
• PPDG, Pertemps People Development Group, providing specialist mentoring and employment support, across the West Midlands, to high risk and complex service users, usually leaving custody
• Birmingham Safeguarding Services, providing 1-1 support to young people at risk of harm
• City Deal, mentoring and employment support for adults, from many different backgrounds, into work and training
• Plan C early intervention consortia commissioned by Birmingham Community Safety Partnership and Youth Offending Service; working with young people aged 11-17 at risk of involvement in gang violence and criminal lifestyles
• Avanta/EOS/People First, working in partnership with the work programme provider assisting engagement with challenging and high risk service users
• Boyz to Men' group work programmes aimed at engaging, educating and challenging younger men, particularly around their behaviour and approaches to females and relationships
• The Father's Programme, delivered in partnership with Sandwell MBC - delivering 1-1 support to fathers, sons and daughters engaged with and/or affected by gang and organised crime lifestyles
• Funded through 'Ending Gang & Youth Violence' monies, creation and delivery of mentoring based 'exiting' programmes for high risk individuals involved in urban street gangs and organised crime groups
• Business development and 'back office' support for a voluntary sector organisation and successful bid writing
• Development of a 'gender specific' female mentoring support programme in partnership with Birmingham Youth Offending Team
• Training development and delivery in the field of 'high risk mentoring'

Representative activity:

• Coventry University's Violence and Interpersonal Aggression group
• West Midlands Police Independent Advisory Group on Domestic Abuse
• West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioners Regional Gangs and Violence Commission

Professional Advisory Group (PAG) and Governance:

The company is a fully incorporated and registered Community Interest Company (CIC) and has two subsidiaries Mentoring East Midlands and The Via Learning Centre; The CIC has one Managing Director and a Company Secretary.

Company Status & Related Information:

Like all CIC's we are a surplus generating community focused entity that functions like all companies i.e. we pay Corporation Tax and publish an annual CIC report as per the requirements of Companies House legislation. A copy of our memorandum and articles of association are available on request and have been assessed by Sandwell Community Voluntary Organisation as fit for purpose.

ISO27001: As an organisation we manage our systems and processes around information management and quality assurance in line with ISO27001 and have held that award for 7 years; please see above as a download our most recent audit report.

The company's annual Community Interest Company Regulators Report for 2023 is available on request.