Improving outcomes for young black men
The Council, Hackney CVS and other local agencies have worked with young people and parents to launch an ambitious plan to improve life chances for young black men. Young black men tend to fare worse than their peers in many ways, from poorer educational results to higher rates of offending. This has been a problem for many years and public bodies and the community have tried many different approaches to dealing with it, but none have had the desired impact.
Strategic vision 2018-22
The programme is now in its third year. Following reflections on lessons learnt, progress made based on the initial theory of change and consultation with the community and key stakeholders a new strategic direction for the programme has been established for 2018-2022.
Our approach
Rather than tackling individual problems, our approach involves local people, the voluntary and community sector and the public sector in shaping and delivering the solutions, with young people its heart.
The work is championed by Cllr Bramble, lead cabinet member for children and young people. We’re aiming to improve life chances for future generations of young men as well as coordinate support and opportunities for those who are 18-25 now. There are many black boys, young black men and black families that are succeeding in Hackney. It’s vital that this work doesn’t stereotype black men or the black community or treat them as problems. The focus of this programme is on harnessing successful young black men’s potential, increasing their visibility, and tackling inequalities where they exist.
Theory of change
The programme has engaged young people parents, business and partners from all sectors to identify what was driving inequality, key issues that needed to be highlighted and actions that needed to be taken. The background for these initial discussions formed the basis of our approach and have offered a framework for the next stage of the programme.
Research symposium
On Thursday 23 November, we hosted a research symposium for the Young Black Men programme. The event was an opportunity to learn from academics and social researchers working on issues relating to the experiences of young Black men, while sharing our work with an external audience.