Coding skills for young ex-offenders

The coding for young offenders has progressed on a number of levels. We now have  300 students across London and they now attend STEM Academies in the north and south of the borough.

A new dimension  to the programme is that we are using our students as role models. They go into local schools and tell their stories of how the programme has helped them. This  encourages young people to see Science and Technology as a real alternative.

Our students have powerful stories of change and the power of Education.

In terms of the way Generating Genius works. We have become much tighter in measuring our impact.  We have developed a  model that emphasises the ‘Why’  and ‘How’ rather than the ‘What’. We feel that an enormous

amount of ideas are generated around different types of interventions in an effort to initiate changes of

behaviour in this client group. An equal focus on our motives and devising more effective ways of

delivering services would generate greater success.

The model is based on a foundation of three practices:

  Reflexive Practice: The ability to consider a variety of influences in decision making, including personal history.

  Non-oppressive Practice: being able to approach all relationships with an awareness of possible prejudices.

  Multi-Disciplinary Practice: The ability to think and act professionally in a variety of disciplines.

  The model then emphasises the importance of human qualities, such as Honesty, Integrity, Trust and Resilience, that are critical to service delivery and yet not the focus of any practitioner or policy maker training.

  Theories devised by academics, researchers and practitioners around the subject of children and families also deserve consideration. Theories such as attachment, attunement and brain development should shape the delivery of services.

  The model focuses on the application of the above, underlining aspects such as evaluation, training and professional supervision.

  Finally, the model underlines the importance of appropriate service delivery structures and other contextual influences to ensure effective outcomes for vulnerable children & families.

We have now devised a training programme for  teachers based on this model which works alongside giving our students coding skills.

We are seeking funds to scale this programme to a national level.