One Spirit is an Intervention, Resettlement and Restorative programme, using music and creative arts, to help support and transform the lives of the most vulnerable young people in our community, who are at risk of and/or already embroiled in the criminal justice system and consistently facing systematic discrimination and racial inequity.
Since 2010, One Spirit has been working with young offenders in custody and, since 2013, also on release, using music and the arts as a resettlement and intervention tool to improve confidence, self-esteem, self-efficacy and mental health; engagement with learning and reduced involvement with risky and harmful behaviour and reoffending.
Thanks to grants from The London Mayor and Youth Music's Catalyser Fund, we have expanded our work into more custodial settings and work with young people at risk of offending in Pupil Referral Units (Roundwood School) and SEMH settings (New Rush Hall School). This completes the project’s circle of 360 delivery from community to mainstream and alternative provision, to custody and back to the community and supports One Spirit’s crucial role in intervention helping to divert young people away from criminality and towards positive pathways, alongside our work with young offenders in custody and on release.
Working in partnership with education, resettlement, and wellbeing teams in Oakhill STC, HMYOIs Cookham Wood, Feltham and HMP Aylesbury and in the community with statutory services including YOTs, Community Engagement Teams and referral partners such as Sports Connect, REED, Urban Radio Network, Young People Matter, we have sustained our exemplary record of participants not reoffending for over 10 years. We currently work with over 260 young people annually in 1:1 or small group mentoring sessions using our alternative curriculum based around creative arts and entrepreneurial activities.
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Find out more about One Spirit's Aims, Participant Needs and Activities
“As far as I know you’re the only organisation working like this … meeting in custody and working through and after release. It’s a brilliant service for the boys and I wanted to tell you how valuable
it is for us at Probation.”
“Everyone’s on my case to ‘pattern up’ [start behaving], but no one has really put it to me like you just did. I appreciate that; you really made me think about this differently.”
It achieves this through an alternative curriculum based around creative arts and entrepreneurial activities, which help participants develop and improve their personal, inter-personal, functional and employability skills whilst embedding a philosophy of life-long learning. It is led by all guided and supported by OS’s delivery team of artist/educator facilitators, who also work as the project intervention and resettlement coaches, and who all have their own track records of experience and success both in education and the creative industries.
“I know you can help me with my music career, but you know, mostly I come here because writing lyrics and recording really helps me to get things off my chest, especially when we discuss them too. It’s kind of like therapy.”
“I’ve been waiting for ages to get on this. Hopefully I can keep doing the sessions til I go home, they really help. I know I’m not much good at music like some of these other guys, but just getting it all off my chest in music really helps. Thanks.”
Aims
One Spirit’s 3 Core Aims are to help participants:
1. Improve their mental health and well-being, self-confidence, self-esteem and self-efficacy
“Your use of words can help you let go of 1,000 years of steam and anger. Through the beats and rhymes you can portray a mixture of emotion from your happiest days to your saddest nights.” – PARTICIPANT IN OAKHILL STC
2. Increase their engagement with learning and work;
“We have seen an increase in the young people’s focus and attention in all aspects of the curriculum; the positive way they feel about themselves following a session allows them to achieve more in lessons, resulting in an increase in successful qualifications for each child.” – EDUCATION MANAGER HMYOI FELTHAM
3. Reduce their involvement with risky and harmful behaviour and a reduce reoffending with 86% of participants having not reoffended over the past 10 years
“If it wasn't for this [One Spirit] then I'd probably be in jail, I can't lie. Coming here has really helped me through some bumpy times you know. Just being able to get it all off your chest and do something positive.” – PARTICIPANT IN THE COMMUNITY
Needs
One Spirit participants have faced challenging and adverse childhood experiences and the significant disadvantages experienced by them means the need for this work is critical. Approximately 70% have been in care and a majority have experienced racial discrimination, social and economic disadvantages while growing up. Exposure to violence, abuse, neglect, substance misuse, peer and gang pressure also typically contribute to low attainment and exclusion from mainstream education. Poor self-efficacy skills, low self- esteem, a negative outlook and lack of positive role models generate feelings of low self- worth, a lack of personal skills and minimal ability to envisage a stable and progressive future. Mental health issues are prevalent. Many have been involved in 'county lines' activities, usually exploited as part of an organised 'gang'. All those recently released are NEET and lacking opportunity and assistance. OS provides intensive support embedded in creative activities which allows participants to reflect and build skills, as well as opening up a wealth of opportunities for them to change and turn their lives around. There is always a waiting list for access to the programme in custody and on release.
Activities
One Spirit delivers:
In Custody:
3 hr small group sessions and 1:1 hour long sessions in Oakhill STC, HMYOI Feltham and HMP Aylesbury;In Alternative Provision:
half day sessions to small groups in Roundwood PRU and New Rush Hall SEMHIn the Community:
1:1 3hr sessions usually in our Brixton venue
Participants are offered personal and development activities including: drama games, teamwork challenges, working alone and/or in groups assessing their own and each other’s work, leadership, conflict resolution; SME basic finance & budget management, people management, entrepreneurship, business structure, and marketing and promotion.
Engagement with learning is achieved through an introduction to technical music making (audio production including recording, engineering and mixing, lyric/song writing, composition and arrangement, and instrumental tuition). This leads to outputs such as the creation of original music and songs (in custody/PRUs often made to a 'theme of the week'), or pre-recorded radio broadcasts that include music, adverts, and interviews. Musical skills progress in 1:1 recording studio sessions where song-writing skills are developed both technically and as a key therapeutic outlet to support mental health, well-being and creative self-expression.
As relevant, planning futures, career guidance and general pastoral support also underpin mentoring by offering guidance towards education and employment opportunities as appropriate in collaboration with community partners such as 3rd sector organisations: Roundhouse, Young People Matter, Bounce Back, Speakman Sound, Chelsea FC, REED, Keltbray, Sports Connect, Camelia Botnar Foundation (Suffolk), Urban Radio Network. Such partnerships create strong referral networks for wider progression opportunities.
Key to the whole holistic programme is a focus on improving social skills and interaction. Participants are guided to increase their ability to cope well in a group, communicate with/get on well with staff and peers, and reduce anti-social behaviour. This is achieved through their design and engagement in the 1:1 and group activities, the ongoing strengthening bond and trust between facilitator and each participant (particularly crucial in the transition from custody to release) and the sustainable opportunities and support OS offers.
“I didn’t have no guidance and my care home pushed me to the roads. At 13 I went back to my family but it was too late to keep me controlled.”
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HMDT Music, twice winner of the prestigious Royal Philharmonic Society Award for Education and winner of the Excellence in Music Theatre Award is a leader in creating inspiring projects for young people, particularly those facing challenging experiences, through which it aims to enrich learning, broaden awareness of and help fight inequity and transform lives.
