Redthread

Breaking cycles of violence requires partnership. At Redthread we know that this very much includes partnership with hospitals – who see and treat many children often severely injured in by knives and other types of assault.  We’re therefore pleased to see the success of the knife amnesty bin initiative by St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Word 4 Weapons, Wandsworth Council and Wandsworth Community Safety Partnership in south London. The project shows that that young people need safe spaces to surrender the weapons anonymously – weapons they often carry because they themselves feel threatened or are forced to doing so as victims of criminal exploitation.  Find out more about the project here: https://lnkd.in/euFV4az3 Our Redthread team at St George’s Hospital daily sees the impact of knives on children and young people. The team provides embedded youth work in the A&E to support young victims of violence and exploitation.  Funded by the London's Violence Reduction Unit, and working closely together with hospital staff, last year: 👉 the team supported 130 children and young people impacted by violence  👉 48% were children (under 18) 👉 42% were girls and young women – which is why we run a specialist Young Women’s Service at St George’s Hospital too This type of integrated partnership between Redthread and NHS Trusts is proving effective in violence prevention: ✨ 79% of the young people Redthread supported at St George’s Hospital last year reduced their risk of further harm.  This is also why, like its ban on the sale of certain knives, the government's commitment to embedded youth work in A&Es is so crucial to achieving its mission to halve knife crime.  #EmbeddedYouthWork #KnifeCrime

We echo the calls of our Catch22 colleagues. We will be listening out on Friday for these recommendations.

We were honoured to welcome HRH The Princess Royal, Patron of the national charity Catch22, of which Redthread is now proudly a part, to our Redthread Youth Violence Intervention Programme at St Mary’s Hospital. The visit highlighted the significant impact we are making in supporting children and young people at risk of violence. Her Royal Highness was met by Christina Duru, Chief People Officer at Catch22; Paula McDonald CBE, Chair of Trustees at Redthread, Alima Qureshi, Head of Communities and Young People at the London's Violence Reduction Unit, our core funders; and Professor Julian Redhead, Medical Director at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. During the visit, Redthread and NHS staff shared insights into the work of our specialist youth workers, who provide vital support to young victims of violence. Their expertise helps break cycles of violence, offering life-changing interventions within clinical settings. We are also grateful for the support of Hiscox Foundation and John Lyon's Charity, who help make this programme possible. As trusted partners in the care of vulnerable children and young people, we remain committed to delivering impactful, evidence-based support.   Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eScf9EMb

We very much welcome the UK Home Office announcement that child criminal exploitation will become a standalone offence via the #CrimeAndPolicingBill. 🚑 Our youth workers embedded in A&Es in London and Birmingham support young victims of violence. Many of these children are also victims of exploitation. ⚠️Our teams are often the first who spot that a child is being exploited by adults, having been groomed into criminal activity and stuck in a cycle of harm they can't escape. And while we support hundreds of child victims of exploitation into safety, the perpetrators mostly get away. ➡️ This new proposed legislation should make it easier to deal with perpetrators and prevent such unscrupulous adults from harming children again. Find out more about the government's plan 👇 https://lnkd.in/eDRcdTAK

We’re delighted to receive the news that our highly impactful youth work intervention programmes in eight London hospitals will continue to be funded by the Mayor of London's London's Violence Reduction Unit. At Redthread, we support more than 1,900 young people every year who have been affected by violence. Working with NHS staff and other professionals in emergency departments, our specialist youth workers build trust with young victims and help them find a positive way forward. Our latest figures show that: 🔸We’ve supported 1,900 young people in the last year 🔸80% reported feeling safer after being supported by Redthread 🔸56% have decreased their risk of exploitation Kate Wareham, Director of Redthread, said: “The work we, and others, are providing to young people in emergency settings is key to reducing youth violence. The support colleagues provide is often long-term and looks at all aspects of the child or young person’s live – with the aim of giving them a route to a more positive future. Although our interventions come at a time of crisis, they are also preventatives; if we can get the support right at that critical time, we can greatly decrease the likelihood of similar incidents happening again. “With this funding, and the invaluable support of our other partners, we can continue to turn young people’s lives around.”

You may have seen Idris Elba’s important programme ‘Our Knife Crime Crisis’ aired on BBC One this week. The programme showcased how violence is affecting children and young people across the country, how many of them feel unsafe in their own communities due to knife crime, exploitation and violence, and how youth work is crucial for prevention.    Redthread delivers youth work in A&E settings across the UK. Our specialist youth workers build relationships with young people who are admitted to A&E with an injury related to a violent incident. It is crucial that specialist youth workers are there to offer support at a critical ‘reachable moment’ and ensure that contextual safeguarding is in place to stop further harm from violence or child exploitation.    The impact of this work is irrefutable and essential. In 2023/24, we reduced the risk of further harm of 78% of the young people we supported in our services.   ❗ We urge the government to make good their commitment to embedded youth work in A&E settings as outlined in their mission to halve knife crime.    🤝 We will continue to work with government and the wider sector to demonstrate the impact and value of youth work in A&E settings to prevent violence affecting young people.   Watch the documentary to find out more about how embedded youth work in A&E settings prevents violence https://lnkd.in/ec-MxTyX

🌐 Safer Internet Day 2025: Too Good to Be True? 🌐 Join us on 10th February for an event dedicated to helping you protect yourself and others from online scams. What’s in store: • Expert-led discussions on identifying and avoiding online scams. • Practical tips for navigating today’s digital world safely. • Free lunch provided—let us know your dietary requirements. Spots are limited and the location will be shared upon confirmation. Reserve yours now by emailing Ellie.leacy@catch-22.org.uk or visiting our website: https://lnkd.in/e96JW4_y Let’s work together to create a safer digital world. #SaferInternetDay #CyberSecurity #DigitalSafety

We had a great night celebrating Redthread's nominations alongside our Catch22 colleagues at the Children & Young People Now Awards last week. Redthread was nominated for the 'Youth Work Award' and 'Children and Young People’s Charity Award', recognising the vital transformative youth work in hospitals with children and young people affected by violence and explotation A huge thank you to all our staff for their hard work and commitment to the vital work they do. #CYPNowAwards

This Youth Work Week we want to highlight the importance and impact of embedded youth work. Redthread embeds youth work in hospital emergency departments to break cycles of violence, working alongside NHS staff. Our youth workers support young people aged between 11 and 25 who present at hospital as victims of violence or criminal or sexual exploitation. Our youth work is preventative, supporting the young person in their moment of crisis and helping them find a positive way forward. There is a strong preventative impact (also on re-victimisation) when effective youth work support is in place on-site when children and young people access emergency care. You can read more about the typical journey with one of our embedded youth workers here: https://lnkd.in/eYht5tb6 #YWW24 #YouthWorkWeek

This #YouthWorkWeek, Redthread is joining London's Violence Reduction Unit and the Charities Network to celebrate, champion and support youth work and the role that trusted adults play in the lives of young people. Read our joint statement below 💜