As part of the Trust’s London Pathways Partnership collaboration, ELFT has been operating a wellbeing service for the ‘Transitions to Adulthood’ pilot, commissioned by the Mayor of London’s Office for Policing and Crime. This engages 18-25 year olds under Newham probation, as well as those transitioning from youth offending teams.
The pilot scheme, which is in its second year following its launch in March 2022, delivers therapeutic, psychological interventions for young adults who are on probation. Its overall aim is to improve the mental health and wellbeing of these people through access to mainstream mental health services.
Interventions via the wellbeing service offer a variety of levelled support from low tier emotional and practical help, to psychological assessments such as maturity, neuropsychological functioning, traumatic brain injuries and mental health.
Since the service started, it has received over 100 referrals, and the work undertaken has not gone unnoticed.
During a Justice and Home Affairs Committee meeting last month, the Minister of State for Prisons, Parole and Probation, the Rt Hon Damian Hinds MP, reflected on his visit to the Newham Young Adult Hub and work that has been undertaken with young adults.
The Minister noted that the programme has a “big focus on employment”, and that he was “particularly interested in the use of speech and language therapy” due to the struggles young adults on probation and those in the criminal justice system may have without being able to fully express themselves.
The Committee hearing can be found on the parliamentlive.tv website, and the specific mention of the project is from 11:29:22 until 11:34:19.
If you would like to learn more about the ‘Transitions to Adulthood’ pilot, ELFT’s wellbeing service and involvement in the London Pathways Partnership collaboration, do feel free to get in touch with its Joint Chair, Dr Phil Minoudis, at philip.minoudis@nhs.net.