Rooted Wisdom is a progressive educational initiative in London focused on empowering young individuals by nurturing positive racial

About Us — Rooted Wisdom CIC

Who We Are

Rooted Wisdom CIC is a UK-based, trauma-informed organisation supporting Black and marginalised young people across prison, school, and community settings. We work relationally with young people and the professionals around them to support emotional wellbeing, identity development and long-term change. Rooted in psychodynamic, trauma-informed and culturally responsive practice, we believe:

Behaviour is communication — and meaningful, lasting change happens when young people are met with safety, consistency, reflection and dignity.

We deliver:

  • Group-based therapeutic programmes

  • Trauma-informed staff training

  • Identity & emotional wellbeing workshops

  • Reflective spaces for young people navigating complex systems

Our approach centres young people’s voices, lived experience, and strengths — not labels.

Why We Exist

Too many young people are pushed into the criminal justice system not because of the harm they cause, but because of systems that misunderstand them.

Disproportionate representation is clear in UK data:

  • Black and Mixed heritage children remain over-represented among cautions and sentences, accounting for ~11% and ~10% respectively, despite each group making up only ~6% of 10–17-year-olds. GOV.UK

  • Black children make up 27% of all children in custody on remand despite comprising only ~6% of the youth population. Youth Justice Legal Centre

  • Across England and Wales, people from minority ethnic groups make up 27% of the prison population, compared with 14% in the general population — meaning hundreds more young men are incarcerated than if representation were equitable. Prisoners' Advice

  • Arrest rates for Black children are disproportionately high — for example, arrests of Black children accounted for ~12% of youth arrests, even while White children account for 73%. GOV.UK

  • Racial disparities persist at key stages: Black children are more likely to be stopped and searched, arrested, remanded and sentenced than peers committing similar offences. GOV.UK+1

Educational exclusion compounds these challenges. Excluded young people are much more likely to face disengagement, isolation, poorer mental health outcomes and later involvement with the justice system, and this disproportionately affects Black students and other minoritised groups. CoramBAAF

These trends are not inevitable — they reflect a gap in relational, culturally grounded support. Rooted Wisdom was created to close that gap.

 

Our Approach

We offer therapeutic, culturally attuned spaces where young people can:

  • Explore identity beyond stereotypes
  • Develop emotional awareness and regulation
  • Reflect on choices and behaviour
  • Build future aspirations

We work with schools, prisons and community partners to create environments that are consistent, dignified and rooted in trust.

Does It Work? Early Outcomes

Our emerging insights — drawn from participant reflections, facilitator observations and programme delivery — indicate positive shifts across several domains:

Before Rooted Wisdom → After Rooted Wisdom

Safety & Behaviour

  • → Increased sense of safety
  • → Reduced conflict and behavioural incidents

Emotional Regulation & Self-Awareness

  • → Better ability to name and manage feelings
  • → More reflective responses to stress

Identity & Personal Growth

  • → Stronger self-concept and pride in cultural identity
  • → Less internalised stigma

Future Thinking & Engagement

  • → Greater engagement in education and community activities
  • → More realistic goals and future planning

Achievement & Completion

  • → Higher rates of programme completion
  • → Recognised progress in personal development

These outcomes align with what research tells us about effective trauma-informed practice: consistent relational support can reduce behavioural risk, improve emotional wellbeing, and strengthen long-term engagement.

 

What Happens Next

We are committed to:

  • Scaling proven practices into more prisons, schools and community hubs
  • Partnering with professionals to embed trauma-informed and culturally responsive frameworks across systems
  • Measuring long-term impact so we can demonstrate outcomes with robust evidence
  • Supporting young people beyond programmes with follow-up spaces for reflection, progression and support

Rooted Wisdom CIC exists not just to intervene — but to rewrite the narrative for Black and marginalised young people. We believe that when young people are listened to, understood and rooted in support, they chart their own paths toward wellbeing, opportunity and belonging.