Case Study One
How Outreach turned a young man away from a life of petty crime
Mark was born in a small village in the Rhonda with very high unemployment. He was raised by his mother as a single parent and has one older sister. By the age of 15 Mark had become so troublesome that he had to be removed from his home and placed into local government care.
His mother had very little contact with him and he was regularly excluded from school for bad behaviour and violence. He was known to the police, and it was not long before he had a criminal record. By the age of 15 he had been found guilty of two offences of ABH and criminal damage. His education was suffering and he was rebelling against the children's home.
Eventually his social worker decided to get him to try Outreach, the ACFA’s youth and community project, which was being run in partnership with the local Youth Offending Team. Mark was willing to attend but later admitted that his only incentive was that it would get him away from the care home. During the programme he did not respond well. At one point he was close to being removed for his bad attitude and aggressive nature.
Mark admits that he did not give it a chance and that he just went along for the ride. His social worker, however, had seen some positive changes as a result of his joining the project. Six months later he asked for a second chance.
Again Mark was very willing to go, if only to get him out of the care home; however, this time he knew what to expect and felt more comfortable with the programme. This enabled him to participate more and he soon realised that he found the project very rewarding. He said: "It was during the second programme that I realised there was something I was good at and enjoyed - it was a turning point in my life". He also identified the potential for a career that he would like to pursue.
He was now 16 years old and following his second visit to Outreach he showed a remarkable change. His social worker recorded a more positive attitude and he started to show an interest in school. He moved away from the circle of friends who had encouraged his previous life of petty crime and vandalism and he expressed an interest in pursuing a career in the Army. His first attempt to enlist was unsuccessful on medical grounds. However he continued to persevere at self-improvement until he was eventually successful in gaining a place at selection.
Mark is currently serving with the 1st Battalion The Welsh Guards. Mark told us: "Without Outreach I would have been a persistent offender or drug addict. The course lifted me from the pit I had found myself in. My family are now proud of me - and so am I".