Friday 30th October 2015
‘Sacro’ were holding an open day at Dundee Voluntary Action – No.10 Constitution Road, Kirsty and myself decided to go along to it after being made aware of it through an email from the Education & Social Work Office at the University of Dundee. We had been reminded of the service after hearing about it back in 2nd year during our Interagency Module. We had also just had an input about ‘Restorative Approaches’ which is one aspect of Sacro’s service. This therefore reinforced our thoughts about attending the open day.
This is the Organiser Info which was provided on the Eventbrite page –
Sacro
“Sacro is a Scottish community justice organisation which works to create safer and more cohesive communities across Scotland. From providing conflict resolution that prevents disputes from escalating to supporting prisoners on release, Sacro works to reduce conflict and repair harm. All our services are designed to create safe and cohesive communities by reducing conflict and offending.
The organisation works with a broad range of people, including those harmed by crime and those responsible for that harm. As a Scotland-wide voluntary organisation, we are committed to providing services that contribute to positive transformational changes in the lives of our service users. We work independently and collaboratively within Scotland’s communities to provide support, prevent conflict and challenge offending behaviour wherever the need arises. Our services are based on research evidence, service user feedback, international standards of good practice and a commitment to development and innovation. Since its inception, Sacro has grown and developed new services for young people, bail, intensive supervision of high risk offenders and other priority categories. Sacro currently has almost 400 staff and volunteers, offering over 60 services in 22 locations across Scotland.”
The open day was between 10am and 4pm and we decided to go along during a break from other work. When we arrived we were handed a welcome pack and signed in before picking up a free pen and starting to go round the rooms. Each room had a different focus on the services provided by Sacro. 1 room focused on Youth Justice, 1 on Criminal Justice and 1 on Mediation.
The most likely service which I may come in contact with whilst working as a teacher may be Youth Justice Service. Here, we were informed that the Youth Justice workers will work with young offenders/at risk of offending through Restorative Approaches in order for them to acknowledge their behaviour and help change their ways. We were given the opportunity to ask questions about the resources that were laid out and the information provided was very helpful. We were very keen to know if practitioners had access to some of the modules which Sacro deliver, however we were told it was unfortunately not possible and only Sacro have access to them.
We were also told of some interesting findings that Sacro have found through delivering the work they do with young people – 72% of young people who go through the process do not re-offend & 100% of offenders/possible offenders offered the service have taken the opportunity up. This was quite surprising and enabled me to acknowledge that this a positive strategy with many benefits. The workers stated that they tend to work with individuals for about 6 weeks however this can be longer or shorter depending on the needs of that individual. The service itself is seen to be a short-term strategy which has long-term effects & benefits.
The second room displayed 4 services:
- Circles of Support and Accountability (COSA): model of intervention that assists in the monitoring & community re-integration of certain high risk individuals who commit sexual offences.
- Shine – The Women’s Mentoring Service: provides a mentor to help women to develop their independence & quality of life, improve their social skills, motivation and work towards addressing a life free of offending.
- Veterans Mentoring Service: military veterans currently in or are on the periphery of the criminal justice system; aim of the service is to enable the service user to enjoy sustainable, independent living.
- The Housing Support Service: support for ex-offenders who need assistance with re-settling into the community.
In this room we were given some information about the different services which other areas of Sacro provide. We spoke to a variety of representatives who were happy to answer any questions we had.
The final room focused on Mediation. Here we found out about how they work mainly with disputes between neighbours; peer mediation in schools and mediation in the workplace. This was interesting and we were also told about a project, ‘Fearless’, that they are away to start up to help those affected by domestic violence – particularly aiming it at those less likely to come forward; men and those from ethnic minority & LGBT communities.
Personal Thoughts:
I believe that taking the time out of doing work to go along to this event was very beneficial to my professional development. The information provided was of great help to me in understanding and gaining knowledge of what services Sacro can provide practitioners with. It was also appreciated that they were willing to answer questions and share some of their experiences with us. Informing us about how teachers can be supported and how to get in contact with them (even if not in Dundee City Council – offices all over) was also very valuable.
More information can be found on Sacro’s website:
http://www.sacro.org.uk/services/criminal-justice/housing-support
The important message which came from this workshop was that it is vital to deal with whatever is bothering the children (ourselves) in order to ensure that minor worries do not snowball into bigger issues which are more difficult to deal with. Ensuring that we are talking and communicating with children and young people is key to providing opportunities for them to share their thoughts/concerns with those who can offer support and guidance.
