Safety First, Desistance Later: Working with Young People Who Harm

• Too often, work with young people affected by exploitation is rooted in expectations of compliance, ‘positive choices’, and behaviour change – before we’ve truly secured their safety. Safety First, Desistance Later flips that script. 

  This session explores why immediate, meaningful safety must come before desistance. We'll unpack the risks of rushing young people toward change while they're still entangled in harm, and explore how punitive, adult-centric systems can overlook the realities of survival, trauma, and coercion. 

  Grounded in relational practice and harm-reduction principles, this training offers a framework for building trust, reducing risk, and supporting young people at their own pace. It’s about creating the conditions for change – not demanding it on a deadline.  

This training is suitable for any teams working with children, such as Children's Services, Alternate Provision Staff, Youth Service, and third sector support services.

This training can be delivered either face to face or online.