Shared Experience in Justice Reform
Creating support systems for Neurodiversity in the UK justice system
Partners
Duration
Sept 2022 - Jan 2023
Sector
Justice
The Brief
In July 2022, the British Parliament passed a bill creating a new secure school, Oasis Restore, for youth offenders between the ages of 16 and 19. The school, set to open in the winter of 2023 in Medway, Kent, will employ a team from Oasis Community Learning, a charitable organization that educates children at risk of expulsion Casis Restore will utilize the principles of Restorative Justice, which focuses on addressing the needs of both victims and offenders through meetings and dialogue, instead of a traditional retributive approach However, the school faces the challenge of gaining students' trust who may arrive with a negative attitude towards authority and supporting their varied needs.
Intervention & Impact
The Shared Experience Mentor (SEM) program is desisned to provide each child with a dedicated and trustworthy adult role model committed to supporting and advocating for them. The SEM will work closely with Oasis' teachers to ensure that each child's unique needs are met by tailoring lesson plans and activities to the child's needs. Many children who come to Oasis have experienced significant trauma, such as neglect or abuse, and may have difficulty trusting adults and authority figures. Through building trust and connecting the SEM will help the child work through past traumas and feel more secure in their new environment, preparing them for a better life outside the system.
My Role
Collaborated with a team of three to unpack Oasis' vision, co-create solutions with relevant stakeholders, and deliver detailed service blueprints and operations guides for supporting their staff. The project was presetted to the Principal Director of Oasis Restore and representatives of the UK Ministry of Justice.
Skills Leveraged
Discovery
01/06
Conducted interviews with key stakeholders to understand the UK's youth justice system. Analysed the space where the secure school is to be built to visualize how its infrastructure embodies Oasis' mission rooted in restorative justice.
To gain a comprehensive understanding of the issues within the system, our research approach involved speaking with a diverse range of stakeholders, including representatives from the justice system, educators, and other subject matter experts. While synthesizing our research, we derived valuable insights into the experiences of children within and outside of the justice system, as well as the systemic issues and challenges faced by educators and representatives of the justice system.
Key Findings
The under-representation of neurodiversity in the justice system has resulted in a lack of understanding and support for neurodivergent young people.
01
Despite having an overwhelmingly sizeable neurodivergent population in prison. the Justice System does not understand neurodiversitv and doesn't consider it in its policies.
02
Children in the justice system have been made to feel like they had no future academically because of their poor performance (or undiagnosed neurological condition), and therefore associate themselves with a life of degeneration, though they have other strengths
03
Children that end up within the justice system come from a long history of trauma and deprivation. Still, the justice system takes on a behavioural lens to enact change rather than an empathetic one.
Research Ethics & Key Insights
Developed ethical research guidelines to ensure the mental and physical safety of neurodivergent and vulnerable young people.
01
Children need positive relationships with adults who can model appropriate behaviour, provide guidance and support during difficult times, and actively listen to their needs and concerns. Additionally, children often emulate the behaviour of those with whom they have close relationships.
02
It is crucial for children to have a positive sense of self-identity. If they have been consistently told negative things about themselves, they may begin to associate themselves with a life of crime. Thus, it is important to challenge and change these negative perceptions.
03
Giving children a voice and the ability to advocate for themselves is essential to prepare them for life outside the facility. They must have the ability to express themselves and their needs effectively.
Opportunity
02/06
The element of healthy relationships emerged as the 'North Star' of our design direction.
Intervention
03/06
To optimise the support provided to students within the secure school system, we proposed implementing a new role, the “Shared-Experience Mentor” (SEM). The SEM would possess a common experience with the students that they could significantly identify with to amplify the pace and depth of their connection.
Prototyping & Workshops
04/06
Facilitated co-creation workshops and developed artefacts for the SEM to engage with incoming students within the Oasis compound, enabling the mentors to understand, empower and build healthy relationships with the young students.
Key Learning
Though the tools are effective in facilitating engagement, the mentor's natural rapport and ability to connect with children was a more significant factor in the success of the relationship. As a result, our research shifted towards refining the hiring process for mentors rather than solely improving the usability of the tools.
Deliverables
05/06
The SEM (Shared Experience Mentor) would serve as a friend, confidant, and advocate for the students, while also acting as a mediator between the students and staff during escalated situations. Developed a mentorship program and suit of tools to aid the SEM in their role.
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Impact
06/06
We are not just introducing a new role, we are changing the organisational dynamics of Oasis. Because the SEM will understand the child, the other staff can leverage this understanding and provide better support. By working together, the whole will be greater than the sum of its parts. In the future, we envision a whole network of people who leave the secure school and come together to form one body.
Feedback from Key Stakeholders & Industry Experts
Andrew Willets
Principal Director, Oasis
Relationships is at the heart of your thinking all the way through and that is really impactful. Thomas Horton
Thomas Horton
Strategy Lead, HMPPS
This mentorship model can be scaled across not just the justice but also the education ecosystem. It is valuable for adults as well.
Richard Bloomer
Assistant Headteacher, Catch 22
Having positive role models that build up positive bonds for them... is the most effective thing we have.