London's VRU Boys, Young Men and Future Fathers Support Services

Delivery Focus The VRU is seeking market insight on the provision of intensive, relationship-based mentoring for boys and young men in care settings. The service is intended to strengthen protective factors through trusted adult relationships and sustained support, helping young people to develop confidence, resilience, identity, relationship skills and their understanding of different models of masculinity. Target Cohort The primary target group is boys and young men who are: • Looked-after children; • Care experienced; • Living in residential care, foster care or semi-independent accommodation; • Affected by violence, exploitation or social exclusion; • Involved with, or at risk of involvement with, youth justice services and/or the probation service. Indicative Service Requirements The VRU is interested in delivery approaches that may include: • Intensive one-to-one mentoring; • Relationship-based support delivered through trusted adult relationships; • Support to explore identity, belonging and self-esteem; • Emotional wellbeing and resilience; • Exploration of relationships, identity and different models of masculinity; • Critical thinking and resilience to harmful online influences; • Aspirations, life skills and preparation for adulthood and future fatherhood; • Light-touch advocacy and support to navigate services and systems; • Effective partnership working with social care, education, health, youth justice service, the probation service and other relevant statutory and multi-agency partners. The service should complement, rather than duplicate statutory provision and maintain continuity of support wherever possible.

Delivery Focus The VRU is seeking market insight on specialist training and capacity-building support for fathers, male carers, foster carers and residential care staff who play an important role in the lives of boys and young men. The aim is to strengthen the confidence, skills and capability of trusted adults to support boys and young men as they navigate identity, relationships, online influences and key life transitions. Target Cohort The service is expected to engage: • Fathers and father figures; • Male foster and kinship carers; • Residential children's home staff; • Semi-independent accommodation staff; • Other adults with significant caring responsibilities for care-experienced boys and young men. Indicative Service Requirements The VRU is interested in approaches that may include: • Structured learning and development programmes; • Workshops, coaching and peer-learning models; • Resources and practical tools to support ongoing learning; • Support to facilitate conversations about identity, relationships and models of masculinity; • Training on recognising and responding to harmful online influences and manosphere content; • Critical thinking and digital literacy; • Understanding the role of trusted adults and positive male influences; • Embedding learning within everyday care practice and support planning. Providers should demonstrate how learning can lead to sustainable changes in practice and strengthen the support network around boys and young men.

Delivery Focus The VRU is seeking market insight on a preventative programme supporting boys and young men in education settings. The programme is intended to provide opportunities for young people to explore identity, belonging, relationships and different models of masculinity, whilst increasing resilience to harmful online influences and strengthening protective factors within education settings. Target Cohort The primary delivery settings are expected to include: • Pupil Referral Units (PRUs)/Alternative Provision (AP) settings; • Mainstream secondary schools linked to participating PRUs and APs; • Boys and young men experiencing social isolation, educational disengagement, vulnerability to exploitation or exposure to harmful online narratives. Indicative Service Requirements The VRU is interested in delivery models that combine direct work with boys and young men alongside workforce development activity. Potential elements may include: • Group-based interventions for boys and young men; • Workshops exploring identity, belonging and models of masculinity; • Emotional wellbeing and resilience activities; • Relationships education and communication skills; • Critical thinking and digital literacy; • Exploration of online influences, online harms and harmful narratives; • Preventative intervention within feeder mainstream schools; • Workforce development, resources and capacity-building support for school staff. The programme should build on existing safeguarding, RSHE, PSHE and pastoral systems and support schools to develop confidence in facilitating conversations around identity, relationships, masculinity and online influences.