Alternative Provision Specialist Taskforce
The UK government’s Alternative Provision Specialist Taskforce (APST) programme is designed to integrate multidisciplinary teams within schools that offer alternative provision. These teams consist of mental health professionals, speech and language therapists, family workers, and other specialists who provide intensive support aimed at preventing vulnerable pupils from disengaging from education and potentially being vulnerable to child criminal exploitation.
The selection of schools for this initiative is based on their location in areas identified as ‘serious youth violence hotspots’ across England. Criteria for these areas include data indicating high levels of youth violence, such as serious violence offences and hospital admissions for assaults with sharp objects. Notably, the programme is currently deployed in 21 areas including major cities like Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, and Bristol.
The funding for the APST programme involves a £15 million allocation from the Treasury, distributed among the selected areas by the Department of Education. This funding supports the deployment of the specialist taskforces in alternative provision schools, aiming to provide targeted interventions to the pupils most at risk.
The overarching goal of the APST programme is to keep young people engaged in their education, which is considered crucial for preventing them from being drawn into serious violence or being exploited. This approach is part of a broader strategy to address youth violence by focusing on educational engagement and support rather than punitive measures alone.This initiative represents a proactive attempt to address complex social issues through educational support and multi-agency collaboration, reflecting an integrated approach to tackling the risk factors associated with youth violence.
Snowdon Village serves the community across the East Central area of Bristol and beyond. Due to being recognised as serving an area with some of the highest levels of serious youth violence across the UK, Snowdon Village was invited to take part in this programme.
Taskforces are led by local groups of secondary schools, working with partners. They provide access to the right evidence-based support and services for children in their area. This support focuses on:
- supporting children with their wellbeing and behaviour
- improving children’s attendance at school
- keeping children engaged with their education
The guidance on evidence informed interventions:
- sets out the evidence on tackling serious youth violence
- explains how to select and put in place interventions
Within our Taskforce we have a variety of therapeutic services, including reflexology, movement therapy, art therapy and talking therapies. These interventions are vital in supporting our young people’s wellbeing and protecting them from child criminal exploitation, by addressing multiple dimensions of their mental health. Reflexology reduces stress through targeted pressure points in the hands and feet, promoting an overall sense of physical well-being that can buffer against mental health struggles. Movement therapy, such as dance or yoga, encourages body awareness and emotional expression, potentially diminishing anxiety and improving mood through physical activity. Art therapy allows individuals to process complex emotions and traumatic experiences without verbal communication, offering a creative outlet that can lead to profound personal insights and healing. Finally, talking therapies like counselling or cognitive behavioural therapy provide a structured environment to discuss feelings and thoughts, fostering resilience and problem-solving skills. These therapeutic techniques develop coping mechanisms, strengthen self-esteem, and build trust, making young individuals less susceptible to exploitation by providing them with emotional tools to navigate challenging situations. We believe that for our students who have experienced significant trauma and have SEMH as a primary need, this is a key area where support is needed as the foundation of making a student feel safe and gain a sense of belonging when in school.
In addition to this we have mentors with a range of specialities; from sport mentors, to mentors with lived experience of exploitation and experience with working in prisons. Sport mentors can use the discipline and teamwork inherent in sports to foster self-esteem and a sense of community. Mentors with personal experience of youth violence provide relatable stories and realistic advice on avoiding dangerous situations, offering a unique perspective that can resonate deeply with at-risk young people. Those with experience in prison settings bring awareness of the consequences of criminal behaviour, helping to deter our young people and helping them to quantify and understand risk. Together, these mentors can empower young people towards positive life choices and away from exploitation by modelling positive behaviours, providing emotional support, and teaching critical life skills. Our main priority is using these professionals to deliver 1:1 interventions with our young people, however they do also offer advice in whole-school approaches and run group sessions for all students to be able to access. In addition to this, the team are looking at longer-term projects such as setting up sports clubs and youth clubs to run pre/post-school hours, to support students beyond the school day.
