Purpose

Creating Effective Generations (CEG) is a Manchester based youth organisation specialising in lived experience mentoring, education, and diversion for young people at risk of exploitation, violence, and criminality. Their approach blends therapeutic practice, contextual safeguarding, and authentic mentor relationships, helping young people develop resilience, confidence, and positive future pathways.
CEG have offered to develop a bespoke course alongside the Alternative Provision Specialist Taskforce (APST) professionals which will address concerns with those young people at risk of or already excluded and at significant risk of offending or victimisation. This proposal will also draw on already VRU commissioned services to create an exciting and innovative support and development offer.
The following will be considered for delivery alongside the one-to-one or group mentoring sessions.

• Social Enterprise Programme: This programme allows young people to develop important business skills such as money management, research, planning, creativity and much more. Delivered in harmony with our ‘Make Legit Money Scheme’ which supports young people to develop ethical and sustainable ways of making money

• At Risk Education Curriculum: Educates about risk associated with criminal exploitation, County Lines, and gangs. Raises awareness around CCE, empowers students to recognise and minimise risk, develop exit strategies and begin to form foundations for reengagement with mainstream services and educational pathways.

• King’s Trust Resilience Course: Level 1 Award in Developing Resilience aims to support learners to increase their personal resilience by exploring, experiencing, and developing different protective factors and learning how to apply helpful habits to their real lives to help them manage life’s challenges.

The programme will run April 2026 – Sept 2026 as a proof of concept and will be internally monitored / evaluated by the APST / VRU / CEG team collectively with the VRU ensuring KPI’s are met.

Decision

The VRU seeks to award £10,000 commission CEG (Creating Effective Generations) for a programme to engage 12 children (10-17) with complex needs and at high risk of offending / exploitation within or progressing to alternative provision.