Catch22

At just 13 years old, Joshua didn't realise he was being exploited. He knew that something didn't feel right when an adult in his community began paying him attention, buying him gifts, and making him feel guilty about it, but he couldn't quite put those feelings into words. The situation had gradually become part of his daily life, leaving him feeling confused, anxious, and unsure of who he could trust. He hadn't told anyone what was happening because he didn't fully understand it himself. But things started to change when Catch22 started to deliver sessions on exploitation prevention in his school. These sessions focused on emotions, resilience and seeking support, and how these difficult experiences affect the way we feel. By opening up conversations about emotions and vulnerability, facilitators helped create a space where young people could reflect on their own experiences and recognise that they did not have to face challenges alone. Through being given a safe space to explore how he felt, something started to click for Joshua. He recognised that the feelings he had been carrying like fear, pressure, and uncertainty, were not things he had to deal with alone. The examples shared during the session helped him understand that what was happening to him was abuse – and so he spoke up. Joshua was then given help and support from both Catch22 and his school community to address those feelings and cut the strings of exploitation he had felt tightening around him. Through working with children and young people to identify what abuse looks and feels like, we help to draw a line under child exploitation for good. #DrawingtheLine #ChildExploitation

Could you be our next trustee? We're recruiting Trustees to help shape Catch22's Mission 2030 strategy and are particularly looking for people with expertise in finance, or public policy and government relations. Both are a chance to shape the future of an organisation delivering real, measurable impact for some of society's most vulnerable people from prison leavers to young people locked out of education. Chair of the Finance and Audit Committee: We're looking for a professionally qualified accountant with senior finance experience, someone who can bring strong financial oversight, audit and risk expertise, and sound judgement to our Board. Knowledge of charity or social enterprise finance would be a real advantage, as would a forward-thinking view on investment strategy and risk. Whether as Chair of this Committee or as a general Trustee, we'd love to hear from you. ⌛ Closing date: Friday 28 August 2026 👉 Chair of Finance and Audit: https://lnkd.in/eM2CM2Ph   Trustee - Public Policy and Government Relations: We're looking for someone with senior experience in government, civil service or public affairs, with a track record of policy development and influencing across Whitehall. Strong networks across government departments, particularly Education, Justice, Work and Pensions and the Home Office, are valuable. ⌛ Closing date: Rolling deadline 📍London (board meets 6x/year at our Pear Tree Street office, committees 4x/year) 📅 Roughly a day a month 👉 Trustee (Public Policy and Government Relations): https://lnkd.in/dpeesrJM

Grosvenor's Insight Day for Care Experienced young people 💼 Last week, young people from our Care Leavers into Careers (CLIC) Westminster programme spent an inspiring day with Grosvenor, gaining exclusive insight into the wide range of careers available across the property, construction and hospitality sectors. From learning about the property industry and major London developments, to hearing personal career journeys from professionals at Grosvenor, Skanska and The Chancery Rosewood, the day showcased the many pathways into these industries and the skills employers value most. A particular highlight of the young people was a guided tour of Grosvenor's Mayfair portfolio, including a preview of the newly refurbished Grosvenor Square ahead of its official reopening. The group also explored exciting regeneration projects in the area and gained a behind-the-scenes look at how places and communities are shaped. The day concluded with a speed networking session, giving young people the opportunity to connect with professionals from across the business, ask questions, build confidence and broaden their career aspirations. A huge thank you to Grosvenor and everyone who took the time to share their expertise and experiences. Opportunities like these help young people see what's possible, expand their networks and take important steps towards their future careers. #YouthEmployment #AmbitiousFutures

⭐"10 out of 10 for Catch22 wellbeing day – it's brought me out of my shell and given me excellent confidence."⭐ This week we held a wellbeing day for people we work with across our justice services in London. Our Personal Wellbeing, Dependency and Recovery, and Finance, Benefit and Debt teams pulled the event together, alongside a brilliant line-up of partner organisations. In practice, this meant people on probation walking into a warm, informal space, talking to services that could actually help them, having a hot drink and lunch, picking up clothes and toiletries. Onwards & Upwards, XO Barbers were on hand giving out free haircuts to those who wanted a fresh trim. It's a reminder of what in-person, community-based delivery makes possible. Conversations that might take weeks of back and forth happen in minutes, because everyone is in the same room. That came through in what attendees told us: 💬"I'm here today to get some help and support and guidance so that I can get better in myself and not reoffend… I feel there's so many people here that can help me." 💬"I didn't realise what to expect, but it was very helpful. Some good advice. The wellbeing team were very very helpful, something I really need." 💬"The first stall I visited was XO Bikes and barbering. I left my details with them, they're going to train me up and give me a new skill." That's how we think delivery should be done: in communities, face to face, and in partnership with organisations doing brilliant work alongside us. Thank you to Single Homeless Project, XO BARBERS, XO BIKES Reed in Partnership, SWIM: Support When It Matters and The Clink Charity for making this day happen – this is what it looks like to #ReduceReoffending in practice.

Exploitation prevention work in schools is essential if we want to see fewer children being exploited and subjected to serious violence and trauma. Our delivery in schools over the past year has allowed us to connect and engage with children and young people to help give them the tools to recognise what exploitation looks and feels like, and what they can do to get help if something isn’t right. Over the past year, our West Merica STEPS service engaged with over 2,000 young people through this kind of delivery, raising general awareness among young people as well as hosting sessions for teachers, parents, and carers. As STEPS’ Kate Annison and Sarah Melia highlight in the video, school environments provide a crucial safe space for children and young people to learn about and understand exploitation. Delivery in schools is paramount to drawing a line between exploitation and violence, as the government’s Halving Knife Crime Plan is rightly emphasising through ensuring schools in high knife crime hotspots will be receiving targeted support. Through reaching vulnerable children and young people in familiar, safe environments, we can reduce the incidences of exploitation and violence in our communities. #DrawingTheLine #ChildExploitation

We've been shortlisted for two Children & Young People Now awards 🌟   Care Leavers Into Careers (CLIC) has been shortlisted for our various programmes working across different partners for their work helping care experienced young people overcome barriers to employment, education and training. Through personalised coaching, practical support and strong employer partnerships, the programme helped achieve 114 job outcomes for 206 young people over the past year alone.   Hampshire 24/7 has been recognised for its innovative response to the growing harms associated with ketamine use among young people. Through prevention, education, family support and the creation of specialist referral pathways, the programme is helping young people access support earlier and preventing long-term harm.   These shortlists are a testament to the incredible commitment of our colleagues, partners, funders and the young people who work with us every day. They reflect what can be achieved when services are built on strong relationships, early intervention, and a belief in every young person's potential.   We look forward to finding out in a few months whether they've secured a win, but even recognition of our delivery fills us with pride.

Our Pan Merseyside Missing and Child Exploitation service joined Merseyside Police yesterday to launch a new campaign focused on tackling Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE). The ‘Call it what it is’ campaign aims to raise awareness of abusers who are seeking to exploit children, calling for their actions to be seen and properly described as the abuse it is. We took to New Brighton beach on Tuesday where Catch22 were part of the team alongside Merseyside’s Police and Crime Commissioner Emily Spurrell sharing information and talking about the campaign to members of the public, informing them on how to spot the signs of grooming too. Vikki McKenna, Pan Merseyside Exploitation Service Manager, spoke with local media at the event and appeared on BBC News North West yesterday evening, where she raised awareness on how more free time during the school holidays can make children more vulnerable to abusers. Grooming and exploitation must not be minimised and disguised through language. By clearly labelling abusive behaviours and grooming, more CSE victims will be helped to recognise when they have been abused and feel empowered to seek support. 📽️ Watch the BBC News segment from 13:00 - https://lnkd.in/eKMax4Fs #ChildExploitation #TakingAction #CCE

There’s still time to register for our CPD-accredited one-day course, Gang Awareness - Know the Signs. Led by our specialist training lead, it gives practitioners a stronger understanding of serious group offending, 'gang' culture, county lines and child criminal and sexual exploitation, and how to spot the signs before it’s too late. 📅 Tuesday 11 August 2026 ⏰ 10 AM - 4 PM Designed for frontline staff, educators, youth workers, social care professionals – anyone whose role involves supporting people at risk of gang involvement or exploitation. Spaces are limited, book your place: https://lnkd.in/eZfMrara

📢 We're recruiting an Operations Director for Employability, Health and Wellbeing. This is a pivotal national leadership role which will oversee a diverse portfolio of employability, health & wellbeing, community and advice services that support thousands of people each year. We're looking for someone who will lead localised high-impact services, drive quality, performance, and innovation, build strong commissioner relationships, and help shape how we deliver on our Mission 2030 ambitions. If you're an experienced operational leader with a passion for improving outcomes and building high-performing teams, we'd love to hear from you. Apply today: https://lnkd.in/eHceqg8u