We are delighted to announce that, thanks to £60,000 funding from the Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner, we will be piloting a new service to support young people in Brighton and Hove affected by domestic abuse and unhealthy relationships. We now have in post a specialist Young People’s Violence Advocate (YPVA) and a Specialist Young People’s Counsellor.
The role will provide young survivors with high quality, age specific, support and advice with a focus on reducing risk and aiding emotional recovery from the harmful impacts of domestic abuse in their personal or family relationships. The support will extend beyond short-term crisis to recovery. The service will be open to all young people but we anticipate working with more young women than young men, based on what we know about unhealthy relationships.
The project is beginning partnership work with schools and youth provision in the city to co-produce offers that will work for young people, where they are. Staff will work with young people who are experiencing coercive / controlling behaviours in their relationships with partners, ex partners or families, taking a trauma informed and needs led approach. It will include safety planning and will aim to increase understanding of the criminal and civil justice systems, ultimately leading to pockets of local culture change.
There will be counselling available in one location in Brighton, in addition to which any young person accessing casework or counselling will have access to RISE’s other offers for young people, provided by expert caseworkers (IDVAs) and therapists.
Within the pilot period we hope to support up to forty young survivors and twenty family members with access to specialist advocacy, counselling and wellbeing support directly. We’ll also work with two schools / colleges, and in collaboration with Youth Workers and we anticipate a further fifty young people will benefit from this broader work.
RISE CEO Jo Gough said “We are incredibly excited about this new initiative – there are huge challenges for young people dealing with unhealthy relationships and what’s going on in their families, so we are delighted to be working closely with community partners to build capacity for support around this ”
Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne said: “Domestic abuse is not just limited to ‘partner’ relationships – it can take place between parents and children, siblings or even extended relatives.
“It’s important that young people understand the misuse of power and control and, if they have been a victim of domestic abuse or an unhealthy relationship, that they are supported to cope and recover.
“The new specialist roles will be key in preventing further harm which can be crucial in breaking cycles of abuse or long-lasting trauma. I very much look forward to working closely with RISE and hearing about the outcomes of the pilot.”
