Re:Shift Collective

About Re:Shift

Re:Shift Collective is a youth-centred programme developed to respond to the complex realities faced by young people who are often described as disengaged, hard to reach, or at risk of exclusion. We believe that these terms frequently reflect a failure in the systems around young people to create environments that are flexible, affirming, and relationally secure. Re:Shift was founded to offer both an alternative and a complement to current education and statutory services, a space where young people feel seen, respected, and understood on their own terms.

At its heart, Re:Shift is about building trust and belonging through meaningful engagement, not compliance. We work with young people whose needs are not always met through traditional services, those navigating the care system, struggling in mainstream education, or facing emotional and social challenges that leave them isolated or unheard. Rather than asking young people to ‘fit in’ to services, we shape our work around who they are, what they care about, and how they best relate to others.

Our sessions are grounded in everyday connection and creative practice. Whether it’s a shared walk, designing a piece of art, building a playlist, or helping customise a space, we meet young people in moments that feel real and manageable. From there, we gently build structure, reflection, and growth. Re:Shift workers are not therapists or teachers, they are consistent adults who hold space, offer curiosity instead of judgement, and create opportunities for self-expression and progress.

Re:Shift Collective operates under DS Wellbeing and Development Network, alongside its sibling projects Social Care Skills and Social Sciences ADN. While our team is professionally experienced in education, social care, and youth work, what defines Re:Shift is not a job title, it’s a commitment to relationships that centre young people as experts in their own lives. We are not a substitute for statutory services. We are a complementary and, for many young people, essential relational anchor at times of change, challenge, or disconnection.

The programme was developed out of both frustration and hope: frustration with systems that overlook relational connection, and hope in what happens when we give young people space to explore their identity, build confidence, and re-engage with the world around them on their own terms. Re:Shift is an invitation, to be heard, to take part, and to imagine something different.

Mission and Vision

At Re:Shift Collective, our mission is to create safe, responsive, and affirming spaces for young people who have been let down, labelled, or left behind by conventional systems. We aim to support their emotional wellbeing, personal growth, and social development through consistent, interest-led, and relational engagement. By working alongside young people, not on them or for them, we build connections that foster trust, resilience, and a renewed sense of agency.

We believe that young people thrive not when they are forced to comply with rigid systems, but when they are given meaningful relationships, environments that respect who they are, and opportunities that reflect their realities. Our work begins with the understanding that change doesn’t come from telling a young person what they should do. It comes from listening closely, noticing what matters to them, and being present enough to walk alongside them while they figure things out.

Our vision is of a world where no young person feels excluded, misunderstood, or unworthy of support. A world where care-experienced young people, those disengaged from education, and those navigating emotional or social difficulties are not seen as problems to be managed, but as individuals with strengths, insight, and potential.

We want to be part of reshaping the way services connect with young people, moving from short-term fixes to long-term relationships, from top-down interventions to co-created journeys. We imagine communities where young people have safe people and spaces to turn to, where trust is built through time and presence, and where the things that make a young person different are not barriers to belonging but building blocks for growth.

Re:Shift is designed to work both alongside existing services and as an option for young people who may not be engaging with traditional education or support. Whether a young person is in care, at risk of exclusion, or in transition, Re:Shift can offer a parallel or alternative route that puts relationships and wellbeing at the centre.

This vision drives every part of our work, from the way we hire and train our practitioners to the design of our sessions and the language we use when talking about young people. It is a vision rooted in hope, in relational practice, and in the belief that when we meet young people with real respect and consistency, they can and do re-engage with their lives in powerful ways.

Who We Support

Re:Shift Collective works with young people aged 12+ who are navigating complex personal, social, or systemic challenges. Many of the young people we support do not fit easily into existing services or are disengaged from the support that has been offered to them in the past. They may have been labelled as difficult, complex, withdrawn, or resistant, but we see them as individuals responding to systems that often haven’t made space for who they truly are.

We focus on young people who are experiencing, or are at risk of:

• Placement instability or breakdown, particularly within the care system
• School exclusion, chronic disengagement from education, or non-attendance
• Emotional or mental health difficulties where traditional support has not been effective
• Social isolation or difficulty forming safe and trusting relationships
• Transitions from care or alternative provision into adulthood and independence
• A general sense of being unheard, unseen, or misunderstood by professionals and services

Many of the young people referred to Re:Shift are in care or care-experienced, live in supported accommodation, attend alternative education settings, or have had fractured relationships with school, social services, or mental health professionals. Others may not have formal diagnoses or care status but still face significant barriers to participation in community life, education, or employment.

We do not require a diagnosis or formal threshold to begin work with a young person. What matters to us is whether a young person would benefit from having a consistent adult relationship rooted in safety, curiosity, and mutual respect.

Referrals typically come from:

• Local authorities (e.g. social workers, leaving care teams, Virtual Schools)
• Education providers (e.g. schools, APs, SENCOs, EOTAS coordinators)
• Residential care providers and Supported Accommodation
• Community and youth organisations
• Families and carers

We also welcome informal expressions of interest, and where appropriate, we can support services to explore whether Re:Shift is the right fit. We aim to collaborate, not compete, with other forms of support and will always be clear about the scope and boundaries of what we can offer.

Re:Shift is particularly effective for young people who are mistrustful of formal interventions or who have not engaged well with standard approaches in the past. We are not a quick fix or crisis service. Instead, we provide a slow-build, relationship-led pathway that works alongside each young person’s capacity and needs, whether that means starting with a silent art session or taking time to simply be in the same space before deeper engagement begins.

At Re:Shift, young people do not have to prove they are ready for help. They just need someone to show up, listen, and stay with them while they make sense of their world.

Our Approach

Re:Shift Collective is grounded in the belief that trust and connection are the foundations for meaningful engagement. Our approach is not built on formal assessments or fixed outcomes, but on presence, patience, and a deep respect for the lived experiences of young people. We focus first on building a relationship, and we let everything else grow from there.

We work in a way that is trauma-informed, relational, and youth-led. This means we recognise that many young people have experienced environments where their voice has been ignored or where relationships have broken down. Rather than pushing young people into pre-designed programmes, we co-create the journey with them, starting where they are, moving at their pace, and responding flexibly to their interests, needs, and energy.

Our sessions often begin with everyday, low-pressure activities. This might be designing a custom hoodie, going for a walk, sketching while listening to music, or helping organise a space. These moments, while simple on the surface, are rich in meaning, they offer co-regulation, routine, and a chance to build trust without the expectation of deep conversation or performance. As trust builds, our practitioners introduce gentle structure, reflection, and growth opportunities tailored to the young person’s preferences and emerging goals.

The core principles of our practice include:

• Relational Safety: Every interaction is underpinned by the belief that relationships must feel emotionally safe to be effective. We prioritise consistency, clear boundaries, and genuine care.
• Curiosity Over Compliance: We approach behaviours with curiosity, not judgement, always asking what’s happened to you? instead of what’s wrong with you?
• Pacing With, Not Ahead: We don’t rush progress. Some young people need months of consistent presence before they’re ready to reflect, plan, or connect more deeply. That’s not failure, it’s respect.
• Everyday Moments Matter: Engagement doesn’t always come through formal discussion. We see the potential for growth and regulation in quiet shared activities, small routines, and creative processes.
• Adaptability and Individualisation: While we have structured resources and session frameworks available, we never apply these rigidly. Sessions are built collaboratively and remain open to change based on how the young person is feeling on the day.
• Practitioner Presence, Not Pressure: Our team members act more like trusted adults than formal professionals. They are trained, reflective, and supported, but they relate in a way that feels human, not hierarchical.

Our approach is also deliberately non-clinical. We are not therapists or behaviour managers. We offer something different: a space where young people don’t have to perform recovery or improvement to be valued. This distinction is particularly important for young people who have had repeated assessments, exclusions, or interventions. Re:Shift gives them a chance to be seen and supported for who they are now, not just who professionals think they should become.

Finally, our approach is embedded in community, not isolation. Wherever possible, we work with the systems around the young person, families, carers, schools, residential homes, and professionals, to support coherence and consistency. But we always protect the relational integrity of the Re:Shift space, ensuring that it remains somewhere a young person can truly breathe, belong, and begin to grow.

Training for Professionals

Re:Shift Collective is part of DS Wellbeing and Development Network, alongside with Social Care Skills, our training and consultancy branch for professionals in social care, education, and youth services. Through Social Care Skills, we deliver practical, values-led training for teams who want to embed trauma-informed, relational, and youth-centred practice into their everyday work. Whether you’re supporting young people in care, in education, or in community settings, our training sessions translate the Re:Shift ethos into actionable, reflective practice.

Explore available sessions or commission bespoke training at www.socialcareskills.co.uk.