We work in both schools and the community across Tendring and Colchester.

Referral criteria:

We have four main criteria:

1. Boys with absent fathers are our priority.
Boys must not have a father figure living in the home or regular access / contact with their father or a father figure.

We encourage relationships with biological fathers if it is safe to do so. We do not profess to replace the father. Boys who see Dad regularly even if they do not live with him will not be given priority on our programmes.

2. Boys must attend mainstream school and not be excluded from school or attending a Pupil Referral Unit. Our work is early intervention to ideally ‘prevent’ school exclusion.

3. Boys must not be engaged in criminal activity or open to the Youth Offending Service at the point of referral. Our work is ‘early intervention’ to prevent this.

4. Mother’s / carers must agree to engage and take part in our family support service and be open to advice and sometimes, challenge. Due to the long-term nature of our work it is for the best interests of the child that we work collaboratively with the parent / carer. Lack of this engagement will result in boys not being able to continue on the programme.