Published on: April 2, 2025
By Patrick Campbell & Sarah Allen
Since its inception in 2022, Compass Go have been part of the JEFF Project and supported over 230 children and young people in North East Lincolnshire by providing early intervention mental health and emotional wellbeing support to those who are on the youth justice pathway, or who are at risk of entering this due to childhood adversity or trauma.
JEFF (Journey, Enrichment, Fulfilment and Friendship) offers a collaborative approach with key organisations* working together to provide a wraparound system of holistic support that aims to break down the barriers to young people accessing mental health support, offering psychoeducation, talking therapy, low intensity CBT, mindfulness, creative approaches and positive activities to improve mental health and wellbeing.
Through this work we have seen 77% of children and young people successfully diverted from the pathway or not repeat previous behaviour that would have led to becoming known to the Youth Justice service.
Over the last 12 months, the JEFF Project have embarked on advanced training, building on an already strong foundation of trauma-informed practice, which is now strongly embedded into the culture of the JEFF Project. Examples of the changes we have made include adapting the language used with children/young people, not discharging children/young people for non-attendance, maintaining a consistent approach and conducting sessions in a familiar or comfortable environment such as their home, a family hub, school or in a community setting.
In October 2024 we presented at the Humber Violence Prevention Partnership Trauma Informed Conference sharing our experience and evidence on delivering transformational change across the system. Building on existing infrastructure across our communities and partnership systems we have scheduled discussions with Humberside Police who continue to be enthused, dedicated and resilient to trauma informed adaptations in practice, particularly with regard to ensuring children receive proportionate outcomes and are diverted away from the Youth Justice System.
Trauma informed approaches are increasingly being delivered across North East Lincolnshire Council, Compass Go and wider partners, where trauma and ACEs are foremost considered with interactions with and about children in our borough who require support. There has been a notable shift in language used across the professional network which we think is essential to changing the culture. We continue to advocate the power that language has to shift perception of how children are seen.
Advocating trauma-informed practice has strengthened, building on our solid foundation with partners of The JEFF Project and we will continue to work across organisational boundaries, developing a new and highly effective service serving children and families who have experienced or face mental health complexities.
*The JEFF project’s key organisations consist of Compass Go, North East Lincolnshire Council’s Young & Safe service, and We Are With You. We also work closely with other organisations and providers including Humberside Police, Inclusion and Education, GRAFT, Early help and nominated Voluntary & Community Sector Champions to ensure that all young people are identified and helped.
compassgo , jeffproject , mental health , North East lincolnshire , wellbeing