Published on 25 February 2019
An ex-offender and a former prison officer who joined forces to help criminals turn their lives around have been sharing their experiences with Sunderland students.
Gary Crooks and Ross Oakes, directors of Durham-based First Point Training, help offenders become work ready and better able to live a crime-free life outside of prison.
They were invited to host a session on their experiences by the University of Sunderland to second-year Childhood Studies (BA Hons) students enabling them to gain a deeper understanding of their module in 'The Family & Community - Contextualizing children’s position within society'.
Gary and Ross talked about their own journeys, the powerful influences of childhood experiences, what life is like for children behind bars and the work they now do, which is having a major impact and recently featured in the national media as well as Channel 4 documentary series PRISON.
Stephanie Hunter, Senior Lecturer in Childhood studies, explained: “We are very fortunate to have this opportunity to hear from Gary and Ross about the amazing work they are doing with young people in custody.
“In our Childhood Studies degree we encourage students to consider the child’s perspective and voice, and for this reason hearing Gary’s own story has been especially significant for the students. Feedback from the students has been extremely positive with comments focused on the session ‘making it real’ for them.
“In terms of future employability, sessions like this one really inspire our Childhood Studies students to see themselves in similar roles in the future and encourages them to remain focused on their own professional goals.”
Gary explained: “What I’ve done is taken my own past adversity and negativity and turned it into something positive to help others overcome their own barriers that I myself overcame.”
He added: “It’s been a fantastic opportunity by the University to speak to the students, and their feedback has been great, they appreciated hearing about that lived-in experience we have and getting an informed and holistic view about some of the issues we experience within our organisation.
“It’s also important for us to hopefully make an impact in some way on the students’ degrees and support their academic journey. There are real learning outcomes from this session, it’s not just theory all the time.”
Ross commented: “I think the students have had a real an eye-opener on what it’s actually like for children to be in custody, and the journey they have through the system.
“A lot of the youngsters I have worked with have been between the ages of 12 all the way up to adulthood, both boys and girls. For the students today it’s about explaining why young people commit offences and the impact that has on their lives.”
Full-time student Katherine Harrison said: “This session has allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of the circumstances surrounding young people’s lives and why they end up in a life of crime and of the support mechanisms they need which will help them change.
“Gary and Ross are doing amazing work, they are helping children, which is so important and I want to help children too in my future career.”
The Childhood Studies programme teaches about the way children learn and develop in a diverse and evolving society, giving graduates an opportunity to work a wide range of careers that involve working with young children. Students learn about a range of topics relating to child development, health and training, and put that knowledge into practice on experiential visits.
About First Point Training Ltd
First Point Training Ltd was established as a holistic training academy and support centre in 2013 and began trading a few months later.
Based in Durham City, the team work across the county in many settings including education, health, criminal justice and local communities.
They are a local company that works with adults and young people who are facing challenging times in life to help make a difference.
The team has developed their skills using knowledge transfer partnerships with academics and specialist organisations. This has led to an established knowledge base which is trauma informed. Their training has included neuroscience, trauma, and attachment theory and bio psycho social models.
They deliver courses to anyone over the age of 16 years. These range from Employability, Health and Social Care, work place training, functional skills and bespoke training packages for employers to meet their training needs.
Social Sciences Discovery Event
Think differently about the World you live in at our Social Sciences Discovery Event on Wednesday, March 20, 3.30pm – 6.30pm at Reg Vardy, Sir Tom Cowie Campus at St Peter's, Sunderland.
Social Sciences allows you to explore global and local issues. This event will allow you to learn more about these topics, giving you the opportunity to meet our academics and learn more about our Social Sciences courses. For more information go to: https://www.sunderland.ac.uk/open-days/social-sciences-march-2019/