Nabeela Yousaf, Service Delivery Lead for Development at Safer London, discusses how the charity supports children, young people and their families who have experienced harm and trauma through violence and exploitation. Through intensive, long-term support, they support young Londoners to move from harm to hope and towards the brighter futures that they deserve. 

Safer London: what we do

We take referrals from anyone, including self-referrals, for young Londoners, parents and carers across the city who fit our criteria of being impacted by violence and/or exploitation. We work with a diverse range of people who may have intersecting identities, including neurodivergence, race, gender etc, which can affect and impact their experiences of society. We also have an active youth voice and participation programme, where young people influence and shape our services and delivery.  

Caseworkers conduct one-to-one sessions to focus on the areas of need that have been identified on the referral alongside the individual themselves. These interventions can focus on healthy relationships, safety, boundaries, coping mechanisms, goals and aspirations. They are led at the pace of the young Londoner or parent/carer, which is particularly important when working with autistic people who prefer routine and planned sessions.

It is a common theme in our work that there is a link between SEND and an increased risk of exploitation and serious youth violence (Franklin et al, 2024). In our experience working with individuals who are autistic, some may experience challenges in identifying harmful or risky situations and may have a strong desire to ‘fit in’. This can make it more difficult for them to navigate and understand peer relationships, potentially increasing their vulnerability to exploitation and serious youth violence.

Similarly, some autistic parents and carers we work with may find it challenging to fully understand certain risks or behaviours or may need support in establishing boundaries with their children. It’s important to recognise that these experiences are not universal, but they do reflect patterns we have observed.

How do we do our work?

Person-centred and trauma-informed practice

Our interventions and approaches are person-centred and trauma-informed, allowing us to build safe and trusted relationships with individuals. This is especially important for autistic people working with us, who we know take longer to become comfortable with a caseworker and adapt to a new routine.

Flexible and accessible introductions

Caseworkers will introduce themselves in a way that eases the individual in, so this could be via a phone call, video call, voice note and even sending ‘About Me’ profiles with a photo of themselves. Along with verbally explaining the service, caseworkers will also send welcome materials so the individual can read about the services and interventions at their own pace.

Collaborative and tailored workplans

Caseworkers work collaboratively with each individual to create a workplan and intervention that is tailored to their needs. Flexibility is key – more time is allowed for initial assessments to prioritise rapport-building. Sessions are adapted to suit each person, whether that means shorter durations, visual resources, discussion-based activities or choosing between face-to-face and virtual formats.

Autonomy and choice in service delivery

Individuals have autonomy in deciding how their sessions are structured, where and how they take place (for example, virtually or face to face) and how services can be adapted to be more accessible. This empowers them to engage in a way that feels safe and manageable.

Sensory and environmental considerations

Caseworkers are highly adaptive in ensuring the environment suits the sensory needs of an autistic individual. They offer a variety of options for session locations and consider factors such as lighting, noise and smells. If a chosen environment proves unsuitable, the caseworker will work flexibly to find a more comfortable alternative.

Overall conclusion with Safer London support

Due to our adaptable, person-centred and flexible approach, we have successful engagement rates with our young Londoners and parents/carers, which can evidence improvements in their safety, well-being and their education, training and employment opportunities. Reviews and feedback during interventions have supported the improvement of our services and delivery, keeping our individuals engaged and completing a successful intervention.

We are successful in reaching young Londoners and families who are facing adverse challenges and difficulties, particularly with violence and exploitation, and supporting them to be and feel safer and have more understanding of the areas that need to be focused on.

Using the Participation service and feedback from interventions, we are continuously developing and striving to improve how we deliver our services and interventions, particularly with autistic and neurodivergent individuals in mind. As well as this, our staff are continuing to develop their learning in working with autistic individuals and with the Accreditation, we endeavour to implement the learning across the organisation to continuously improve our services. This includes making our interventions and services more accessible and having an Autism Ambassador from the Participation group.