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Minister re-launches redeveloped service for vulnerable young people

Monday, 29 July 2013

Today (29 July 2013), the Minister for Social Care, Chris Robertshaw officially re-launched the Secure Care Home which has now been renamed Cronk Sollysh.

'Cronk Sollysh’, meaning ‘Hill of Light’ in Manx, is run by local charity St Christopher’s (IoM) and offers community outreach, education support and secure residential care to young people who are in trouble with the police, are on remand or at risk from harm.

Due to a reduction in the number of young people needing secure care, the new integrated service has been developed on the site of the secure care home to balance the need for secure accommodation with community-based preventative and educational resources that offer the best possible all-round support for vulnerable young people and help them to reintegrate back into the community.

As well as providing the only secure service for children and young people on the Isle of Man, Cronk Sollysh helps young people to make positive changes to their lives so that they avoid crime, stay safe and reengage with education.

The new community based support and education services include:

  • Family group conferencing and mediation to help resolve conflict and create an effective support network.
  • Restorative justice to help young people realise the consequences of their criminal behaviour.
  • Group work to help young people with issues such as keeping safe or confidence building.
  • Multi-agency working to develop tailored packages of support to meet the needs of the young person.
  • Support from qualified teachers to get young people back into mainstream education or training, offer help with homework, advice on careers or college courses and the chance to develop accredited life skills – everything from time management to cooking.

Minister of Social Care Hon. Chris Robertshaw MHK said:

'I first visited this facility soon after my ministerial appointment and it was clear then that moves were already under way to redefine its role whilst still retaining its original capability. I suggested then that it might be good to change the name away from the very utilitarian title it was then encumbered with along with all its negative connotations. It is therefore most pleasing to come back now and see this has come to full fruition. Some of the young people using this facility have had the most difficult starts in life but there must always be hope. What I have seen here today expresses that hope. So to all those who have been engage in the re-aunch of Cronk Sollysh - ‘Hill of Light’ my most sincere thanks and very well done.'

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