Our work:
Multiple disadvantage
Most Back on Track members face multiple disadvantage - a combination of complex needs. Many have experienced trauma in their lives and are still dealing with the impact. Most have previously struggled to access support services.
Currently, 93% of our members face mental health issues, 55% have experience of substance misuse, 50% have convictions, and 46% are homeless or vulnerably housed. Crucially, more than 4 in 5 face at least two of those challenges, a figure that rises to 97% for those who have criminal convictions. Our members are also overwhelmingly on very low incomes, almost all are unemployed and on benefits and many have little or no work experience. More than half have no academic qualifications.
Early Help for Adults
Alongside Shelter and Big Life Group, Back on Track is delivering the Early Help for Adults Service in Manchester. The service provides support for adults facing multiple disadvantages, and is underpinned by the key principles of early intervention and prevention, person centred and strengths-based approaches and developing resilience. Back on Track Navigators build strong relationships with people who join the Early Help programme, providing support and guidance through one-to-one sessions and wider learning and wellbeing activities.
Systems Change
To bring about lasting change we need to challenge the systems and prejudice that create barriers to people facing multiple disadvantage. We are doing this in a number of ways.
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Citizenship
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Employment
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Education
SYSTEMS CHANGE: CITIZENSHIP
People experiencing multiple disadvantage are often excluded from democratic processes. At Back on Track we always support members to get registered to vote during elections, and in 2023 we helped people to get voter ID when it was introduced.
We have also run several projects based around citizenship, current affairs and media. Our ‘Campaign for Change’ project empowers members to speak up and get involved in local democracy. Guest speakers have included GM Mayor Andy Burnham and other local leaders. The sessions are interactive and based around debate, focusing on democracy, critical thinking and media bias. Several members who attended the sessions are now actively involved in lived experience forums, using their insight to help shape policy and effect systems change.
SYSTEMS CHANGE: EMPLOYMENT
We work with employers from all sectors to make positive changes. This often means removing barriers that prevent people with convictions from getting work. We are working with local and regional policymakers to influence their own recruitment and promote wider change. And we run training on employing people facing multiple disadvantage, covering issues such as convictions and mental health.
We always encourage people with lived experience to apply for paid and volunteer roles at Back on Track - and over the years have created several roles ring-fenced for people with lived experience. We have also completely changed our own recruitment process, making it accessible and fair for people from all backgrounds.
The Changing Futures programme includes GROW Traineeships – paid jobs that give people who have experienced multiple disadvantage the chance to get experience and training while they work.
SYSTEMS CHANGE: EDUCATION
We believe in the power of learning to change lives. We offer a huge range of learning opportunities, with a timetable of courses updated regularly - in response to feedback and to what's going on in the world. One of our focuses recently has been psychoeducation. Our award winning Understanding Trauma project is a good example, with participants learning all about the science behind trauma and how it can affect behaviour. Our members shared their own experiences of using other services and how they often failed to take trauma into account. then came up with a set of principles and ideas for how services can be trauma informed. These principles are the basis of our self-assessment reflection toolkit which organisations can use, and we’ve developed training built around these insights. This is creating positive and meaningful change, using the real experiences of people facing multiple disadvantage.
Back on Track training
We can provide specialist training to help your organisation understand the issues and make positive changes. Delivered by our expert staff, topics include:
Fair recruitment
Understanding multiple disadvantage
Working with people who have convictions
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If you’re interested in arranging training for your organisation please contact us at info@backontrackmanchester.org.uk.
100% of people who attended our ‘supporting people with convictions’ training rated it 10/10
