Personal Independence Support CIC

PROVIDING BEHAVIOURAL EDUCATION for YOUNG PEOPLE

the numbers so far

100+
Young people
attended bootcamp
two senior
police officers
(chief superintendents)
attended bootcamp
12 police
officers
attended bootcamp
community
award
london winners in partnership
with fulham football club

about us

We are Personal Independence (PI), a Community Interest Company specialising in behavioural education for young people. 

We were founded in 2010 to help young people improve their social, emotional, physical and behavioural development.

did you know...

The link between difficult experiences in early years and problematic behaviour in later life is well evidenced. Our Programmes provide early intervention to reduce the number of young people engaging in criminal behaviours and entering into negative lifestyles.

our work has impacted young people in the following ways

Improved attendance
at school
much improved
confidence levels
improved attitude and
trust in the police force
Improved grades
in english language
significant increase
in maths skills
Improved decision
making skills
significant decrease in
re-offending & arrest rates

our promise to
young people

We provide an inclusive environment and work with all our young people to help them achieve the best they can and focus on future goals, instead of past difficulties.
We help young people to develop the social and citizenship skills that will enable them to embrace the benefits that come from taking a positive role in an equal, diverse and democratic society. 
Through our services we teach young people:
  • To value themselves, embrace their identity and recognise that the differences between us are a great benefit to our society.
  • The skills to identify and change negative behaviour, and deal with conflict.
  • The confidence that will help them to overcome negative circumstances and make better decisions.
  • The importance of teamwork and communication.
  • The social skills that will equip them to succeed in education and work.
  • To challenge themselves by developing new friendships and trying new things.

our partnership
with the police

We view partnership working and collaboration as key to achieving social impact and leading positive change in the communities where we work.
We deliver our services in partnership with the police. We work with officers from a range of boroughs to enable young people to build trusted and respectful relationships with law enforcement and to challenge negative perceptions of the police service and the criminal justice system.

did you know...

Our partnership with police is mutually beneficial. Officers reach a better understanding of the challenges our young people face and the root causes of the negative behaviours that manifest in public. In turn our young people get to know the individuals behind the uniforms and learn the basics of police procedure to lessen the chances of conflict when they return to their shared community.

why work
with us

Personal Independence Support staff have over 20 years’ experience working with young people and wide-ranging expertise that includes: youth offending, domestic abuse, Counter Terrorism, and safeguarding (social inclusion, preventing extremism and exploitation).

did you know...

In 2015, Personal Independence Support were awarded the London Youth Mark Silver Award, the only quality assurance scheme for youth organisations accredited by City and Guilds in recognition of our high quality services for young people.

Throughout 2017 PI have been working with Project Oracle within their Youth Justice Cohort, working towards their Standard 2 Validation of Evidence. PI’s services have been externally evaluated by Horace Tong - Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience at the University College of London.

our senior
board members

MICHELLE QUAYLE
Founder and CEO, Personal Independence
Michelle has an extensive range of qualifications including: Independent Domestic Violence Advisory, Youth Violence, Social Sciences, and Counter Terrorism.
Michelle has dedicated her career to developing and creating a number of unique and innovative services to meet the needs of some of the most vulnerable young people.
Michelle has worked timelessly to ensure that young people are not excluded due to their behaviours and continues to raise the expectations of both her team and the young people that use PI’s services.
A keen advocate of sharing good practice, Michelle has travelled to Gothenburg to spread PI’s theory, service and impact.
TONY SPALDING
Co-founder, Personal Independence
Tony has had an extensive career in working with vulnerable young people within London communities, with over 20+ years experience of working with looked after children, young offenders and families. His youth worker expertise has enabled him to work alongside Michelle to develop a innovative approach to prevent youth crime.
Tony’s approach to young people is undeniably the key to his successful career and his ability to make life changing impact on young people.
Tony continues to develop and train other professionals within the youth field, including police officers who attend BootCamp.
STEVE WALLACE
JAMES FICKLING
URSULA WEEKES
NATALIA GREENE
SUPERINTENDENT STEVE WALLACE
Borough Commander, Merton, Metropolitan Police
Steve Wallace has 25 years’ policing experience, including three years with Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary spent inspecting forces across the UK. Currently Borough Commander in Merton (London), Steve has formerly worked in Hampshire Constabulary. During his time as a Commander in Hampshire he presided over a 24% drop in crime that saw the naming of Basingstoke and Dean as one of the safest districts in the country.
Steve is always keen to invest time and resources in initiatives that reduce re-offending and divert young people from criminal paths.
JAMES FICKLING
Creative sector experience including photography and production. James is currently the Digital Production Manager within a busy Omnichannel agency. James has a keen interest in charitable work, having completed over 200 hours of accreditation with Millennium Volunteers.
DR URSULA WEEKES
Art Historian
Urusula is teaching part-time at the Courtauld Institute of Art (London University) and at Guildford High School.
Ursula plays an active role in the wider Wimbledon community and has served as a Community Governor in a local Merton primary school.
Natalia Greene
Policing and Security Consultant
Natalia has worked for a range of government clients and police forces on key strategic programmes created to help tackle new and emerging challenges in the sector.
Natalia previously served for two years as an officer in the Metropolitan Police Service, where she was introduced to PI while completing a secondment to Merton Borough Council.
Natalia and Michelle used the opportunity to design and run a successful partnership project that saw police officers working with PI’s trained Independent Domestic Violence Advisors (IDVA) for early intervention in incidents of domestic abuse.

our services

We offer competitive packages that can be commissioned by anyone on behalf of young people, including parents wishing to refer children in their care. Typically our services are commissioned by educational establishments (through the schools pupil premium budget), local authorities, and private companies. 

Our packages are: Bootcamp, Healthy Sexual Behaviour, Anti-crime Behaviour Programme, and Challenging & Identifying Negative Behaviour Programme.
BOOTCAMP
Residential experience
A military style activity weekend where young people undertake physical and mental challenges working in teams and independently. Tasks are designed to bring young people out of their comfort zones and educate them on positive behaviour and self-discipline. BootCamp enables young people to build personal resilience and tolerance towards their peers and provides the discipline and structure to nurture independence and boost self-confidence.
BootCamp includes: 3-day residential experience (Friday – Sunday)
BootCamp is our foundational offering. Our other programmes are designed to build on learnings from Boot Camp and should be selected on the basis of your group’s needs.
Our range of follow-on Programmes includes:
  • Healthy Sexual Behaviour – Male & Female
  • Anti-Crime Behaviour Programme
  • Challenging & Identifying Negative Behaviour Programme
HEALTHY SEXUAL BEHAVIOUR
MALE & FEMALE
Programme of workshops facilitated by our team of experts to promote healthy sexual behaviours. Workshops provide a safe environment for young people to openly discuss sexual topics; to share opinions and thoughts and explore the consequences of inappropriate sexualised behaviour.
The Programme is designed to raise awareness and support young people to challenge typical gender stereotypes and negative media representations of men and women. Young people will discuss current social perceptions and identify and challenge myths.
The Programme is based around a work booklet that is used to guide discussion. The booklet includes useful information that the young people are encouraged to digest in their own time, including definitions of common sexual offences and the consequences for victims and perpetrators.
Content: 1 hour workshops x 10 weeks, and one work booklet per young person provided.
CHALLENGING & IDENTIFYING NEGATIVE BEHAVIOUR PROGRAMME
A behaviour programme designed to enable young people to identify their current behaviours and understand how these affect their everyday lives. A focus on building their core principles of self, such as identity, heritage, stereotypical perceptions, playing the role of their label, confidence and self-esteem. The programme is designed to challenge young people’s thoughts and promote respect towards others, whilst appreciating the need for boundaries and rules within their lives.
The Programme is designed to raise awareness and support young people to identify the negative behaviours that they display. Young people are encouraged to use self-analysis to recognise how others perceive their behaviours. A safe environment where honesty is promoted, an environment that focuses on how to maintain or return back to mainstream schooling. The programme allows young people to explore the feeling of being excluded from a setting/school and how this may limit their future achievements.
Content: 1 hour workshops x 6 weeks, and one work booklet per young person provided.
ANTI-CRIME BEHAVIOUR PROGRAMME
A behaviour programme designed to explore criminal behaviours and raise awareness of the short and long term consequences.
The Programme is designed to allow young people to openly discuss issues that may cause them to enter into unhealthy lifestyles. It raises awareness of common offences and cycles of abuse; for example domestic abuse and anti-social behaviour. Young people are also informed about grooming and sexual exploitation; how it may come about and the signs of an unhealthy or dangerous situation.
Includes: 1 hour workshops for 6 weeks, and one work booklet per young person provided.
Personal Independence Support CIC, based in London. 
020 8640 9595 / 07427 630539 / contact@PIsupport.org.uk