Claudine Duberry

The founder of Taking Positive Steps and Associates (TPS), Claudine Duberry has worked with children and young people since 1992, in the following areas; children residential homes, leaving care and the youth offending teams. Equally Claudines has spent time working in the voluntary sector as a criminal justice manager and the manager of a baby and family assessment unit

Enthusiastic about education, Claudine holds various qualifications inclusive of; a BA in criminology and social policies, an MA in Youth Crime, Probation and Applied Criminology. Likewise Claudine also studied MA in Social work, holds a PTTLS (preparing to teach for lifelong learning) and has undertaken further studies in Child Protection Decision Making an Evidence-based approach.

Throughout her time at Northamptonshire Police Station Claudine worked as an arrest referral officer, and later as a criminal justice manager for a voluntary organization. During her time as a criminal justice manager, Claudine also became a founding member of the Metropolitan Police (Hackney) Independent Advisory Group (IAG) which was a recommendation of the McPherson report (1999). In the course of her time as chaired of the IAG (4 years), Claudine intervened as a community mediator during the longest arm siege in London, lasting fifteen days. The intervention provided, was invaluable and later recognised with a commendation presented by Sir John Stevens, (Baron Stevens of Kirkwhelpington). Claudine's role with the IAG paved the way for the work she later did with John Coles head of Operation Trident. Once again playing a significant part, the metropolitan Police were able to retrieve a firearm and live ammunitions from the streets for which Claudine received a commendation for services to the community

As a remand social worker, Claudine came into contact with groups of young people often described as gangs due to their “anti-social behaviour”, young people with mental health issues and the foster care system. The gaps in these service provision encouraged Claudine to establish Taking Positive Steps and Associates. As an exceptionally knowable practitioner, Claudine also worked together with the British Association for Adoption and Fostering on their Daphne project which focuses on remand and intensive fostering as an alternative to custody for young offenders. Claudine, an empathic individual is a talented, motivated strategic manager she has experience in the field of remand social work, fostering and adoption, youth transition (leaving care to independent living) and professional training. Personal experience of the criminal justice system, drives Claudine’s determination to help and inspire young people caught up in negative cycles, to find positive and constructive ways to rebuild their lives after incarceration. As a philosophical, definitive public speaker with remarkable leadership skills, Claudines drive is to engage others in creating sustainable change.

Committed to providing a tailored resettlement service, ‘Taking Positive Steps resettlement services’ will specifically target resettled young offenders to ensure they receive the best possible employment, education, health and housing related services. Claudine’s vision is to transform the misconceptions of young people criminalised and marginalised in society by developing new approaches, housing and support, teaching and life skills in order to create positive social impact.

Taking into account the cost emotionally and financially that offending and re-offending places on society and the costs to victims and communities, Claudine has a strong belief in her project, its social impact, sustainability and ability to expand and continue transforming young people’s lives for the future. A likely reason for Claudine’s motivation, stems from her desire to ensure that there is a sustainable solution, creating social impact on the alarming rates at which our youth are offending and re-offending. Having considered the evidence Claudine agrees that young people can avoid resorting to crime if the community they live in provides positive supports for them. Consequently Claudine strongly believes that only through true effective, multi-agency and community collaboration that we can create sustainable social change. Accordingly throughout her career, Claudine has intentionally established partnerships and relationships with various statutory and non-statutory agencies, such as the Probation Service, Police, Youth Offending Teams, local church communities.

In addressing the findings of research Taking Positive Steps resettlement programme will embrace an inter-generational, multiracial and multi-faith approach in providing advocacy and support, in order to assist young people to become productive and valuable members of society and to also develop their self-esteem.

Claudine also Specialises in the following:

Project design and development,

Client case worker,

Conflict resolution,

Teaching and facilitation,

Family group conferencing,

Mediation,

And a published author

Claudine is the author of a book which looks at the challenging behaviours of some of our youths who the media has dubbed as the “Gangs”. This book looks at the rise of the London gangs and their impact on the community, their engagement with professional services and how they are very often misconstrued. The book also looks at the impact of social deprivation, “the haves and the have-nots” in a bigoted society. In writing the book Claudine called upon her experience of working with the youth, her training and testimonials from the community as well as the youth she has worked with.

Taking Positive Steps provides professional training and consultancy to professionals who work and engage with young people who are on the periphery or involved in crime.

Today, apart from working as an independent trainer, consult and author, Claudine has been privileged to have accessed the custodial system for young people in Jamaica and St Lucia, where youth crime is proliferating, doing some voluntary work and consultation with these countries in their attempts to address their growing issues of youth crime. Claudine has also had the opportunity to look at social impact and sustainability with Cambridge Judge Business School.

Guns gangs and the implication for social workers and care professionals, as well as the introduction of the Taking Positive Steps resettlement unit are the platforms used by Claudine and her team to highlight and address the issues of youth crime