“People can take a better choice in life” – evaluating the making waves intervention supporting positive change in referred individuals

Purpose Music programmes within the criminal justice system have been shown to improve well-being, social skills, confidence and reduce reoffending. The Making Waves programme by the charity Finding Rhythms offers one-to-one music sessions to referred young people and adults within a community in London. This study aims to evaluate the Making Waves programme by exploring how well it met its goals of building participants’ confidence, self-belief and transferable skills, preparing them for a better future. Design/methodology/approach Using a qualitative approach, the team conducted interviews with 14 referred young people and adults (aged 18–46; 13 men, one woman) who consented to be involved in the evaluation of this project, as well as a focus group with the project team, to gather insights into their perceptions and experiences of the programme’s impact. Findings Thematic analysis identified key themes of personal development, well-being and the overall effectiveness of the intervention as well as positive perceptions of the programme. The three main perceived benefits of the programme included: improved musical skills and aspirations, enhanced well-being and emotional regulation and personal growth through better communication, interpersonal skills and reduced likelihood of offending. The project team echoed these positive outcomes, and also identified challenges, including referral issues, limited capacity and balancing creative expression with social norms. Originality/value Discussion of wider research and recommendations are presented, including development of relationships with other stakeholders and education about the potential benefits of music-based programmes in the criminal justice service. The researchers also consider the next stages of acceptability and efficacy of the programme.