Raising Your Game is a ground-breaking initiative to improve the lives of young people with a learning or communication disability who have offended, or are at risk of offending, and help them turn their lives around.

This particularly vulnerable group of individuals are currently at an increased risk of offending because the right support is not available. 23% of prisoners under 18 years old have a learning disability or difficulty, and I CAN report a 78% re-offence rate among those at risk.

About the project

Raising Your Game is funded by the Big Lottery Fund and is being delivered by Mencap in partnership with I CAN and Nacro. The project launched in 2009 with six pilots in Yeovil, Leeds, Walsall, Wigan, East Kent and Watford.

The project was developed in direct response to what young people told Mencap about their dreams and the problems they encounter achieving them. Based on these findings, the project will:

• work with young people with a learning or communications disability to develop participation standards

• develop services for young people with a learning disability who have offended or are at risk of offending

• pilot the participation standards in selected, existing Mencap services and in new services for young people at risk

• disseminate the standards and the learnings from the project, with the aim of achieving national recognition.

“I would like to get a job, be independent, to go on holiday and to live on my own or with a friend.”

The young people involved in the project will also be given the opportunity to grow in confidence and learn new skills. Raising Your Game aims to:

• give them the voice they need to shape their own future

• ask them what support they need to make the primary things in life more accessible

• support them to build on existing skills and develop new ones

• give them the information, skills and confidence they need to inform the services and decisions that affect them.

Working together, we plan to establish regional groups that will take a lead on informing decision-makers about the services and products young people with a learning disability need, acting as advisory groups to public and private businesses and organisations.

Who to contact
Email Adele Doherty or phone 07949 538691

For further details about Nacro’s involvement in the project, please contact:
Email Austin Riley or phone 0121 380 4858

Raising Your Game at the House of Lords

In spring 2011, MPs, members of the House of Lords and professionals from the criminal justice system helped celebrate the success of Raising Your Game. Paul McDowell, Nacro's CEO, commenting on its achievements, said: 'by providing the right support, we aim to reduce, not only the personal cost of offending on the lives of young people and their families, but also the cost to the community as a whole'.

To find out more about a Raising Your Game visit the website: raisingyourgame.mencap.org.uk

Working in partnership

Nacro is working with Mencap on this initiative.

I CAN is a children’s communication charity. They work to ensure no child is left out or left behind because of a difficulty speaking or understanding.

Big Lottery Fund All the young people taking part in Raising Your Game, along with Mencap, I CAN and Nacro, would like to thank the Big Lottery Fund for supporting this initiative. We believe this project truly offers new and exciting life opportunities for all young people involved.