Historical Reflections - Vision for the Future

An annual review is about looking back - but it also helps you look forward. I want to share some of the things we have been learning recently that are helping us plan for the future.

Twenty years ago Kibble moved from grant funding to selling services. It was not a voluntary transition but the new Kibble Board laid down some foundational operating principles. In some ways it was going 'back to the future' as selling services had been the funding arrangements till 1937. The key principle was that the organisation was set up to work with young people at risk and that would remain at the heart of its charitable mission. Secondly the charitable asset and ethos was worth defending and developing. While the future of the organisation was to be in the market place, it was also recognised that this could provide a way to improve the effectiveness of our work; to develop services built on solid evidence informed research from national and international studies; and to emphasise a model based on positive youth development. This was not a deficit model but one that looked to find the strengths and potential in young lives that had experienced so many adversarial experiences. We still believe that by investing in young people and using a charitable social enterprise model that society profits. Going forward we plan to continue this social investment approach, developing services that are flexible and adaptable to changing need.

What makes Kibble unique? Our local roots alongside our role as the national specialist centre for young people at risk makes for an unusual combination. Additionally our uniquely integrated array of services primarily aims to bring continuity of care to young lives often scarred by multiple disruptions. Our services aim to be both preventative and rehabilitative. We don't always get it right - indeed there are often no easy answers to what can seem like intractable problems. We do however believe that by ongoing and critical self-evaluation we can achieve the best outcomes. You have our promise that this is interwoven into our organisational DNA - there is such a thing as continuous improvement. We work at the intersection of child welfare, mental health, youth justice and special education - sometimes it feels more like a collision point than an intersection - but we aim to be multi-dimensional in our responses. There are solutions - no easy answers - but hard won struggles to help and improve young lives.

In the coming years we want to work closely with our partners in the public services and to ensure that this is done in the most efficient way possible. We want to be increasingly strategic in our responses, ensuring the expedient does not obscure the essential. Working smartly towards better service procurement will make our society a better place for all.

The scope and scale of Kibble's activities continue to grow but in many ways we operate 'under the radar'. This is deliberate - not because we want to hide our work but because we want to protect young people from undue intrusion. At the same time we want to work to the highest standards and in a transparent and ethical manner. This can be a fine balance but as a recent visitor commented: "I didn't know what to expect, but I never expected this". If you would like to find out more about our work and visit some of our activities please contact me.

Graham Bell
Chief Executive