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Young Offenders |
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'Participation in creative activity provides young people at risk with not only an opportunity of improving their literacy and numeracy skills but a unique experience for them to make a positive contribution to society and challenge their view of themselves' Ruth Searle, Senior Strategy Adviser, Youth Justice Board for England and Wales |
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The recent “D-Tox Dance Programme” was developed for female offenders associated with the Nottingham City Youth Offending Team. Its key areas of focus included adopting a healthier lifestyle for female adolescents who have been or are currently engaging in offending behaviour. By engaging in this dance project, females were able to use their time more productively whilst improving their fitness and posture, encouraging pro-social behaviour and responsibilities such as timekeeping and team working, supporting substance reduction/cessation, learning new skills and sharing these with others whilst working towards an Arts Award qualification. The Youth Justice Board identifies substance misuse and a lack of, or exclusion from, education as risk factors and has developed and funded a range of early intervention and diversionary schemes that help tackle these risk factors. |
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| The aim of the D-Tox Dance Programme was to engage female offenders from the Youth Offending Team in accredited and engaging exercise to aid their substance use reduction/cessation, channel energies positively to support stress and anger management, increase respect to themselves and others, educate in fitness and nutrition in addition to the negative effects of substances. | |
| The Department for Education and Skills (DfES), Youth Justice Board and Arts Council England have funded the PLUS strategy as part of the Skills for Life strategy. Research shows that poor numeracy and literacy skills can be associated with offending behaviour. In an attempt to engage young people in art based activities as diversionary activities or as an integral part of offender management programmes, the aforementioned organisations have developed a number of materials as an aid to delivering arts based activities with numeracy and literacy embedded within them. The PLUS strategy embraces the theory of Effective Practice as set out by the Youth Justice Board. |  |
The D-Tox Dance Programme aimed to teach young females new skills as part of a group where they can have ownership and pride of their own project. The participants worked towards their Arts Award, providing them with a recognised qualification as an acknowledgment of their efforts. The content of these workshops was tailored to fulfilling the criteria of the Arts Award syllabus. Its flexible and creative approach allowed those with poor numeracy and literacy skills to achieve as part of their individual learning journey. Back to top |
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