
Empowering Positive Change
Community Impact.
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Reduced crime.
The programme targets the attitudes and behaviours that contributed to their offending and teaches skills and new ways of thinking. By engaging and motivating, coaching and responding to individual need and building on continuity. It supports Users developing skills in setting goals and making plans to achieve these without offending.
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Positive culture
Group discussions and talks by quest speakers will guide Users through unpacking and restructuring the beliefs, attitudes, and thinking patterns that lead to risky behaviours. We provide Users with new decision-making skills and strategies for impulse control and behaviour modification. Which Users can use to make better decisions about their immediate social circles and wider culture.
Our Finance module helps Users realise and build on skills they already posses, which can be used to enter the workforce or create their own business. This helps provide more positive role models in their communities.
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Break The Cycle
Research has shown that re-offending is not reduced simply by incarcerating offenders, or by increasing the harshness of their sentences.
However, well-designed and delivered programmes can have a real effect on re-offending.
The program saves young lives from being wasted, but also prevents the onset of adult criminal careers. This reduces the burden of crime on its victims, on society and on those who would be vulnerable to being coerced into criminal activit or gang culture.

THE FREE TALK

Our Approach at The Free Talk
Empowering Voices Through Lived Experience
At The Free Talk, we prioritize the empowerment of individuals who have firsthand experience within the criminal justice system. We are dedicated to nurturing the advocacy skills of our members who possess lived experience, ensuring their active role in driving transformative change.
Fostering Innovation and Empowerment Within Services
We work diligently to enhance the efficacy of services, encouraging innovation and inspiring a change in attitudes. By empowering the workforce within services, we aim to create an environment that is responsive and transformative.
Driving System-Level Transformation Led by Service Users
Our strategy revolves around initiating system-wide change, spearheaded by individuals who utilise the services. Through this approach, we aim to create effective shifts in various dimensions, including system design, service delivery, and operational processes.
Identifying and Addressing Causes Through Prevention
Our efforts extend to identifying and tackling the root causes and risk factors associated with offending behaviors. We are committed to offering and developing alternative approaches that prevent reoffending and promote positive change.
Appendix 3: Broader Insights
During the course of our fieldwork, we encountered a range of insights that extend beyond the immediate focus of the Mental Health Commission. Although these aspects lie beyond the Commission's defined scope, we found it essential to preserve and present these findings. The subsequent section presents a concise overview of the key themes that were raised during our engagements.
Insight 1: Vitality of the VCFSE Sector
Drawing from prior research (Rees et al, 2020), the Voluntary, Community, Faith, and Social Enterprise (VCFSE) sector emerged as a pivotal force in supporting communities amid the pandemic. Notably, as the majority of our participants hailed from this sector, our Listening Exercise effectively spotlighted the diverse array of proactive measures taken to address local needs and deliver targeted support. Below, we present select illustrations showcasing the sector's responsive actions to evolving mental health requirements: