In County Durham, we run a supported accommodation setting for young people aged 16-21 which consists of 12 individual self-contained flats.
During last summer, staff noticed a pattern of concerning behavior from a small peer group who had previously been engaging and progressing well. Over a short period of time, they began spending increasing periods off site, often returning disheveled and potentially under the influence of substances. Staff grew concerned about this pattern of weekend absences, noticing declining in self-care and living skills, and young people becoming secretive regarding their whereabouts.
Despite positive relationships between staff and young people, the small group of young people became increasingly evasive and began providing false addresses. There were indicators of possible exploitation, but our initial safeguarding concerns did not meet formal thresholds due to lack of concrete evidence. Nonetheless, Changing Lives staff recognized emerging contextual risks which included, unsafe addresses, unsafe/unknown adults, and unsafe locations outside of the service.
Rather than reacting negatively, staff remained non-judgmental and continued to build trusting relationships. By showing consistent care and discussing our concerns for them in sensitive manner. Information was collated collaboratively and every new detail, name, address was logged and information shared internally and externally. Staff ensured information was shared by submitting police intelligence and reported suspicious activity at known addresses.
Staff continued to report missing episodes and request welfare checks on properties, although police responses were delayed or ineffective. Staff also contacted trading standards and reported local shops which were selling young people alcohol.
As intelligence was built, we submitted multiple safeguarding referrals, eventually prompting a multi-agency strategy meeting which included Police, social workers, trainings standards, Missing from Home Team, exploitation team and community wardens. Through this process, Information was shared with us regarding unknown risks in the local area including properties and people which posed a current risk to our young people. We also discovered that through the staff persistence and perseverance in submitting multiple safeguarding’s, a property which we knew our young people were frequenting was safeguarded resulting in a 2-year-old child being protected from unsafe adults and experiences.
Staff maintained a commitment to each young person’s identity, self-worth and dignity. Even as the risks escalated out tone remined nonjudgmental and respectful, reinforcing their right to be seen, heard and be safe. Staff utilized a whole team approach to create safety through trust and connection, which ensured the young people remained linked to us during difficult periods. We also ensured no piece of information was lost which helped build a shared understanding across all agencies.
Our staff team refused to accept surface level expectations or let issues of thresholds be a barrier to ensuring our young people were safeguarded from potential harm in the community, challenged systemic gaps and escalated concerns persistently.
The results ensured not just short-term intervention but long-term change, including environmental disruption, improved agency responses, and the safeguarding of a 2-year child. Staff also had a better understanding of unknown risks in the local area including exploitation networks and unsafe people and properties and ultimately safeguarding responses shifted from reactive to proactive, based on place-based intelligence and relational insight.
Key learning from staff
- Persistence is protection, even when referrals don’t meet the threshold for intervention, continued intelligence gathering and information sharing can force systemic recognition.
- Relationship-based practice is essential as young people could disengage and the opportunity to notice patterns or gain insight is lost
- Multi agency mapping is vital when each agency holds a piece of the puzzle, and no single service sees the full picture without coordinated effort.
Being, becoming, belonging and beyond is more than a theory, it guided our decisions, grounded our approach, and helped ensure safety in complex circumstances.
