About Khulisa
Khulisa (meaning ‘to nurture’ in Zulu) is an award-winning national charity with South African roots. Our programmes have been successful in reducing violence and conflict in post-apartheid South African communities since 1997 and was first piloted in the UK in 2007. Since then, Khulisa has developed a reputation as experts in reducing reoffending and crime by supporting young people and prisoners to explore the root causes of their disruptive or violent behaviour; very often this behaviour is symptomatic of experiences of trauma, abuse and neglect. Working with young people between the ages of 11 and 25, we deliver in London, Manchester and Birmingham, with plans to expand across the UK over the course of the next 5 years.
We have worked in prisons since 2007 and in schools and pupil referral units (PRUs) since 2011, delivering SEL (social and emotional learning) programmes. It is now widely accepted that children’s social skills (such as conscientiousness, self-discipline and perseverance) are more accurate predictors of their health, wealth and criminal history in later life than IQ or social background. As such, Khulisa’s team of therapists work with young people to provide a range of interventions which are designed to build social and emotional skills. Recent evaluations of our work show that only 7% of our beneficiaries go on to re-offend (almost 8 times lower than the control group). Our school interventions reduce the risk of exclusion by more than half, and in-school behaviour improves for 98% of participants who complete our programme.
Over time we have also realised the critical importance of young people having positive relationships and being in an environment which responds effectively to their emotional needs. As a result, we now take a whole-school or whole-prison approach, delivering our interventions in tandem with professional training for prison officers and teachers. Our new 2021-24 strategy takes this a step further, by increasing our attention to other key relationships in a young person’s life, working with peers, parents and carers.
“It was as if this programme was made for me, I was in the right place and I learnt that people want me around. I learnt how to trust people. It helped me get more confidence and it helped me a lot to control myself. I’m proud of myself, I did really well compared with how I am in class” – Billy, 13
With a team of 18 staff, and 5 freelance facilitators, Khulisa is a charity funded predominantly by grants from Trusts and Foundations, and sales. Our key partners include local authorities, schools, and prisons. We are also members of the London Violence Reduction Unit network, The Fair Education Alliance, and The Centre for Social Justice and various other influential groups that promote improved outcomes for vulnerable young people, and crime reduction.
Following the first year of the pandemic, demand for our services surged and we have grown rapidly to meet this. Having spent this financial year consolidating and positioning the charity to scale its impact, we are now on the cusp of a rapid growth phase. Last year we grew our income by 17%, raising £.9Million, and we reached 4,252 young people, and adults who support them. Recent evaluation revealed that 98% of participants improved their behaviour and (re)exclusions from school reduced by 50%. 67% reported improved well-being and coping skills. We’ve recruited top sector talent across all levels, brought in new expertise to strengthen our board, and developed our structures so they are conducive to our growth ambitions while maintaining quality of service.
This strategic period, 2021 – 2024, we are focused on four areas, aimed at closing the trauma gap by;
- Expanding and deepening our therapeutic programmes for young people. This includes working over longer term partnerships, scaling our digital services and the growth of our youth ambassador programme.
- Deepening and regionalising our delivery partnerships, focusing on the areas of highest need.
- Rapidly growing our training to reach all adults. Our new programmes provide intensive and practical learning for both professionals, and parents and carers of vulnerable young people.
- Advancing our policy-influencing work and raising young peoples. We have invested well in evidencing the efficacy of our work. We now seek to use this data to progress policy change and local and national levels.
In support of this strategy, we are projecting income growth, and plans to develop our brand, high profile networks and revenue streams. We are at an exciting time in our development, aiming to reach £3Million turnover over the next 5 years, expanding in key strategic areas across the UK. We’re operating in a tricky economic context, and as such have revised our strategy which aims to diversify our revenues across corporate sponsorship, major individual giving and sales. We’re also now in a position to start using the evidence we have invested in developing to drive much needed policy change. The development of this Chair role is key to driving these aspirations.
Our Core Beliefs
Emotional trauma is the predominant root cause of violence, social exclusion and crime. Young people who experienced trauma or serious adversity are proven to experience delays in social and emotional development. This has serious life limiting consequences, creating barriers to educational attainment and employment, and often leads to a life of violence, social exclusion and crime.
Emotional health is the key indicator of positive life outcomes for young people. Young people who are demonstrating repeated patterns of violent or disruptive behaviour are expressing a social or emotional need which is not being met. They need support and adequate care. Current archaic structures reinforce punishment and exclusion as a response to these behaviours, which high recidivism and youth crime rates prove, do not work.
Social and emotional skills are proven to promote positive life outcomes and are disproportionately more valuable to the most disadvantaged groups. BUT, these skills will only do so much for young people. We must build skills whilst helping individuals to build positive relationships in nurturing environments, and we do this by training the key adults in these young peoples’ lives to be receptive to their needs. These are the essential conditions for effecting positive change in the lives of young people at risk of exclusion, crime and violence.
Our Values
- To Nurture: Supporting growth and capacity to enable greater emotional intelligence individually, and as a team
- To Restore: Working effectively and restoratively as part of a team – a strengths-based approach to problem-solving and conflict resolution (Relational)
- To Empower: Enabling others to thrive and make healthy choices for self, others and the organisation (Community)
- To Guide: Leading projects, teams and people in pursuit of our purpose