New programme to reduce youth reoffending is brought to Blackpool's police custody suites

Two dedicated DIVERT coaches are now based at Blackpool Police station on Gerry Richardson Way, Marton, and will work with those aged 18 to 25 to try and get them away from crime.

They are Helen Gallagher, from Blackpool Football Club Community Trust, and Chris McNally from AFC Fylde Football Club Community Trust.

Helen said: “Arriving in police custody can be a particularly low point in a young adult’s life.

“We use this time as a teachable moment and work with young people to develop and work towards a plan to meet their education, training and employment goals.”

Chris said that service is about being different to the police.

He said: “The idea is, in the nicest possible way, is that we’re not the police. So when people come in to custody they’re not necessarily meeting somebody from the police.

“We are somebody who is there for other reasons, to be impartial, and to give support to them.”

Helen said that, even when one of the coaches are not available, young people can still be referred on to them.

She said: “The sergeants all know us and they can introduce DIVERT. We’ve got pamphlets with our numbers in them that can be given out into people’s properties and, when we log on to the system, we can pull off numbers over the weekend and as long as they’ve said it’s okay we can give them a call from there.

"It’s less of a barrier for communicating with them. If they see us in a football tracksuit we try and show that we are something completely separate.

“Our opening line is ‘I am nothing to do with the place, we are a completely confidential and separate service’ and the reactions have been well received.”

Insp Dave Oldfield from the Lancashire Violence Reduction Network said: “The DIVERT programme takes a public health approach to violence by addressing the reasons people offend. It helps young adults to find hope and explore opportunities so that they can improve their circumstances and build a life away from crime.

“Helping young people to make positive changes also improves the lives of their families and their communities. By reducing reoffending, we are also reducing the number of victims of crime.

“DIVERT has changed the lives of young adults in London and we are confident the programme can achieve the same success here.”

Reoffending dropped from 27 per cent to eight per cent at the Metropolitan Police and will be adopted across all nicks in Lancashire.

Working with a DIVERT coach is voluntary, confidential and does not influence any criminal proceedings. Young people can reconnect with the service after being released from prison.

In Blackpool, the programme is a partnership between Lancashire Violence Reduction Network, Lancashire Police, New Era, Blackpool Football Club Community Trust and AFC Fylde Community Foundation.

The coaches are employed by their respective football club trusts and will wear their club’s tracksuit as a way of connecting with people. A Fleetwood Town Community Trust coach will also join the team at the station.

Blackpool FC Community Trust CEO Ashley Hackett said: “DIVERT is an important element of the community cohesion work that we do at the Trust to reduce crime and provide young people and adults with positive opportunities and interactions to improve their futures.”

Wesley Partington, AFC Fylde Director, added: “The DIVERT programme being delivered between Lancashire Police and local football clubs is an excellent example of what can be achieved through partnership working. AFC Fylde Community Foundation are delighted to be a part of the programme and have witnessed many positive outcomes from the individuals taking part in the project.”

Lancashire’s Police and Crime Commissioner Clive Grunshaw said: “Tackling crime and developing safe and confident communities are key priorities for me and this programme has been shown to make a real difference in helping offenders turn their lives around. This can only be a good thing as it makes our streets safer and reduces chances of

reoffending.

“I fully support the ‘public health’ approach to violent crime. We continue to lose too many young lives to knife crime and serious violence and it’s crucial that all parts of our society work together to tackle it head-on and make our communities safer.”

“Policing alone cannot prevent people offending and that is why I continue to support initiatives that break the cycle offenders all too often find themselves trapped in, moving them away from a life of crime.”

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