Start360 (Belfast)

Start360 is Northern Ireland’s leading provider of support services to young people, adult offenders and families in the community.

We provide a range of services and interventions in the areas of health, justice and the economy. We have an excellent track record working with young people and adults in partnership with the statutory, voluntary and community sectors. Start360 support people through an extensive range of skill-based programmes and services. Start360 has continually developed its services to meet the changing needs of people in Northern Ireland. By holding true to our core vision, we continue to provide a range of innovative services focused on making a positive impact on their lives.

The organisation has grown to be the one of the biggest youth organisations in Northern Ireland, working with almost 20,000 young people, vulnerable adults and their families in each year. We offer a diverse range of interventions from family support, counselling, mentoring, and advocacy through to group work and intensive residential experiences. In terms of the work our services provide this extends to supporting, encouraging and facilitating young people and vulnerable adults to overcome their difficulties in terms of mental health, substance use, offending behaviour and other risk-taking activities.  This work occurs in a variety of settings including the juvenile justice centre, the young offender’s centre, the prisons, residential care, youth clubs, schools, the home and the community.

Start360 services are built on evidence-based practice. With support from our partners we believe we can develop new innovative ways of establishing and maintaining services that are available to address the complex and diverse needs of marginalised young people and vulnerable adults in Northern Ireland. 

Our mission statement is that ‘Change Starts Here’ and our vision is ‘Every Person Stronger’. In the 2020-21 financial year, we worked with 20,009 individuals and their families. We have offices across Northern Ireland – in Belfast, Ballymena, Lurgan, Derry/Londonderry and in the three prisons – Maghaberry, Magilligan and Hydebank College. We currently employ 86 people, delivering 27 services.