Oasis Restore

Challenge

The current youth justice system is a breeding ground for criminality – not through the fault of the young people, but through the cycle of despair that stems from the denial of opportunities, the complicated and chaotic early years many of these young people have experienced, and the deprivation of nurture and learning that is inherent within the current system. National statistics show that – on average – 50-70% of children (under 18) reoffend within 12 months of being released from youth custody.

Oasis was awarded the contract to run the UK’s first Secure School, part of the broader efforts within the UK to provide more compassionate, rehabilitative, and constructive environments for young people in the youth justice system, rather than relying solely on punitive measures. The primary goal of Oasis Secure Schools is to create a safe, supportive, and structured environment that enables young people to continue their education while addressing their behavioral and emotional needs. It combines both personalised education and therapeutic support to help young people rehabilitate, develop their skills, and prepare for a positive future outside of the secure environment.

As part of the set up phase, Oasis recognised that careful thought needed to be given to the ‘through-the-gate’ moment – the support that is given to young people as they leave the Secure School. It’s only by reducing reoffending rates that judges, Ministers and the public will have confidence that Secure Schools work. For Oasis however, it’s more than just reducing reoffending rates. This is about developing pathways that enables every young people to thrive.

Programme

CoCreate worked alongside Oasis Restore and Smart Social – experts in Social Impact Bonds – to design and build a robust, appropriately funded resettlement pathway for all young people leaving the Secure School. We used our expertise in systems thinking and co-design to:

1. Map existing initiatives that we can learn from and replicate.
2. Carry out a wide-ranging consultation process with academics, thought leaders, practitioners and people with lived experience to understand the range of issues impacting resettlement.
3. Generate engagement and commitment to be part of the Oasis Restore Network – an alliance of partners who can play a critical role in the package of support that is provided.

CoCreate helped me work through the issues we were having with a programme that was seeking to make big changes across our organisation. Thanks to your work, we were able to energise people, break down perceived barriers and spark new relationships and ideas within the project that are delivering a lasting impact on the way we work.Oliver Burrows – Head of Statistics and Regulatory Data Division, Bank of England

Impact

The consultation and mapping process created clarity around key commitments for launching the Network, including:

• From the very first day of their stay at Oasis Restore, every young person will be supported to prepare them for transition back into the community or into the adult custodial estate.
• For support focusing on three core needs – somewhere to live, someone to love and something to do – taking learning and inspiration from P3, a fabulous charity and social enterprise with deep expertise in this area.
• To create a ‘navigator’ role, a dedicated person who can join up the journey from school to community, provide practical and emotional support, advocate for the young person and help them navigate the challenges which will inevitably arise.