F4L also delivers specialist training services for practitioners and individuals working with young offenders. As well as sourcing, vetting, training and mentoring ex offenders/gang leaders for placement in client organisations

Our Mission
‘To deter young people from crime by empowering them to explore, understand, challenge and change attitudes that may lead to anti-social and /or offending behaviour, whilst aiding ex-offender rehabilitation and resettlement’.

The Vision

1. To become THE market leading brand and practitioner in the delivery of youth offending prevent and deter programs in the UK
2. For F4L programs to be recognised by the Youth Justice Board, Youth Courts and Magistrates and incorporated into court orders, particularly when dealing with the most prolific or serious young offenders.
3. To become a nationally recognised channel for ex-offenders coming out custody to obtain training and purposeful paid employment without the stigma whilst using their life experiences to help others.

Why F4L was formed

Often parents, teachers, social workers, police, youth work practitioners and others involved with young offenders find that they are unable to engage with hard to reach and disaffected teenagers. Evidence has shown when it comes to respecting attitudes and codes of behaviour, young people are more likely to be influenced by their peers and also look up to ex-offenders /gang leaders who they see as role models, They have a telling advantage in that they have inhabited the world many of the young people aspire to as part of the modern youth culture. Having “walked the walk”, they can empathise with the teenagers’ craving for respect Importantly the YP see the facilitators as suitably qualified to challenge their attitude, behaviour and issues discussed because of their background and experience. In the United States, projects involving ex-offenders/ gang leaders taking the anti-crime message to the streets has proven extremely effective. Ironically, this is THE only industry where the experience of ex-offenders is in fact an ASSET.

After a recent workshop pilot collaborating a Foundation Consultant and Newham YOT (Dec 2006), Executive Member for the Crime and Anti-social Behaviour Council Ian Corbett commented,

“It’s not always easy to get through to teenagers and conventional methods don’t work for everyone, especially those who are already on the wrong path. Sometimes you need to open your mind to other ways around problems in order to find the solution as this workshop has proved”.

Since 2003 the consultants of Foundation have been running youth offending programs and events with various YOT’s, PRU’s, schools and youth organisations This has enabled F4L to develop, pilot and test their services. Currently F4L work with over 100 clients in London and the South East

Success Factors

• Real life experience of consultants (e.g. ex gang members/ ex offenders).
• Specialist training including group work, child protection, mediation, mentoring and youth work training.
• Quality of service (structured programmes many of which are accredited/ certificated,)
• Exclusive supervised prisoner led crime diversion scheme at HMP Coldingley (Surrey).
• Currently the only service that also employs trained female ex-offenders as facilitators
• Over 4 years proven experience in piloting, testing and developing program within the market
• All employees CRB checked