Positive ID
The Pitch
Problem statement
Positive-ID (short for Positive Identification) is a strength-based preventative/early intervention programme designed for young people aged 11-25 from the Global Majority. The programme aims to provide a safe, culturally attuned space within a school environment, where young people are free to explore and strengthen their relationships with themselves, their culture and their peers. This newly adapted version of the model also includes a peer leader programme delivered by ACH Peers aged 18-25 and has been successfully piloted in the UK in 10 London Schools with 194 participants benefiting from employability skills in addition.
Solution
Our programme seeks to tackle a fundamental and very significant disparity experienced by young people from the Global Majority and their non-Global Majority counterparts with an over representation in parts of the system where mental health challenges are present such as the Youth Justice System, psychiatric ward admissions and school exclusions. The programme is adapted from the Afrocentric Therapeutic Model ‘the Tree of Life’, developed in Zimbabwe in 2006 by Ncube. The project takes the young people on an individual journey, starting with their roots, their culture, through to thinking about storms challenges in life and then finally landing on future aspirations.
Why are we best placed to deliver?
The Director of Change in Youth successfully delivered the programme in Hackney for over 3 years winning 4 national awards. He will spare head this new and innovate programme linking the tree of life to employment. They are placed to deliver this programme jointly with Westminster Employment Service as they have and established relationship with Westminster Academies. In addition, our pilot participants experienced 22- 34% increase in pride about their backgrounds, optimism for the future and feelings of usefulness. 94% said that they would recommend the project to a friend. Ncube, who visited our East London Pilot, described the programme as ‘ground-breaking’.
Focus Areas
Delivery plan
Budget breakdown
| Training Facilitator | £1,800 |
| Workshop materials | £200 |
| Evaluation report for 3 schools | £3,000 |
Beneficiaries
45 people
Who will benefit
Expected impact
EXPECT OUTCOMES Increased awareness of their own strengths Increased optimism for the future Increased feelings of usefulness Increased ability to deal with problems well and thinking clearly Sharing their experiences Connecting with others Increased self-esteem Increased pride in their background Improved self-confidence, self-belief and self Identity Improvement in self-control and behaviour Increased employability skills
Track record
The programme previously won two national healthcare awards in the space of one week in November 2023. The project received the ‘Innovation and Improvement in Reducing Healthcare Inequalities Award’ at the HSJ (Health Service Journal) Awards 2023, and the ‘Mental Health and Wellbeing Award’ at the Children & Young People (CYP) Now Awards. The Tree of Life in Schools project received the ‘Most Impactful Project Addressing Health Inequalities’ at the Health Service Journal (HSJ) Partnership Awards 2024