Children in Birmingham are being referred to peer support groups by their schools, in a first-of-its-kind intervention from the My Tomorrow campaign.
The Circle of Friends Project supports groups of up to 6 children, aged between 10 and 14-years-old, who are friends, peers or siblings. There might be concerns about them from their school, the police or their own parents due to behavioural issues such as school absence, anti-social behaviour, bullying or tensions within the group.
The 8-week programme is delivered by youth workers from The Children’s Society who run a minimum of two group sessions a week in schools, youth centres and family hubs.
Schools, which referred children earlier this year, have reported improvements in attendance, less detentions and less disruption in lessons, while parents say relationships between siblings at home have also got better.
The West Midlands Violence Reduction Partnership (VRP) and Birmingham City Council’s Community Safety Partnership has allocated a combined total of £136,000 from the My Tomorrow campaign to fund the project for a year.
Councils, charities and schools across the region have signed up to My Tomorrow, to demonstrate their commitment to improving the life chances of children and young people across the region.
Kulvinder Dhillon, Safe Practice Manager at The Children’s Society, said: “The young people who are referred to us are considered low risk. The Circle of Friends Project is a way of targeting them at the earliest opportunity, to help stop the negative cycle of physical and emotional behaviours, that could lead to future criminality or exploitation.
“They may be on the verge of being expelled or getting involved in anti-social behaviour and they just need that extra emotional support and help to manage any anxiety or anger issues and to spot signs of exploitation. Without the right support, many of these children could grow into vulnerable teenagers.”
One group of 12 to 13-year-old boys, who were among the first to complete the programme, were rewarded with a trip to the go karting track at Teamworks, in Digbeth, on Tuesday, 16 July.
A 13-year-old, who took part but didn’t want to be named, said: “I feel good to have completed it, but I’m going to miss it. To be honest, we didn’t really need a treat. The treat is helping us with our futures, but they gave us an extra treat. I’m proud of us because I feel like we’ve accomplished a mission. It’s been really good.”
Another 13-year-old, who also wanted to remain anonymous, said: “I think before this we would make bad decisions when we got into arguments with each other, but now I know what to do in the future.
“I wasn’t trying to help myself before, or the other people around me, but in the sessions we talked about our problems and we were given scenarios and we had to think about how we would get out of it which has helped a lot.”
A total of 110 group sessions were delivered to 39 children in the first round of this year-long project. Those groups are now working together on legacy projects, including creating films and music to share what they have learned with their schools and wider community.
Police and Crime Commissioner for the West Midlands, Simon Foster, who chairs the West Midlands Violence Reduction Partnership (VRP) Strategic Board, said: “The Circle of Friends Project is already improving school and home life for children and their families.”
“Youth workers have been able to get to the root causes of problem behaviour, tensions or vulnerabilities before they escalate, which is a real skill. It is often more complicated to deliver interventions to entire friendship groups, peers or siblings than one individual, but this project is proving that the rewards can be greater too. This is exactly the kind of prevention and early intervention work we should be investing in.”
Waqar Ahmed, Assistant Director for Community Safety and Resilience at Birmingham City Council added: “Birmingham City Council is happy to support the Circle of Friends Project as part of the My Tomorrow campaign, in collaboration with the Violence Reduction Partnership (VRP). This innovative programme offers a unique opportunity for children aged 10 to 14 who may be showing early signs of disengagement, disruptive behaviour, or vulnerability.
“By providing peer-based group support in safe, familiar settings, the project helps young people build resilience, strengthen relationships, and develop skills to make positive life choices. This early intervention is crucial in preventing future harm and ensuring that every child in Birmingham has the opportunity to thrive, regardless of their background or circumstances.”
