Working with Young Women and Girls Affected by Gangs and County Lines

This session covers our approach to advocacy, and our work to ensure young women's needs are met. We explore the ways we work alongside young women to equip them with the skills and confidence to advocate for themselves, and thereby take control and influence the decisions that affect their lives. Professionals will hear how Abianda supports young women to prepare for professionals meetings, and what we do when a young woman is not ready to participate in the advocacy process.

Anger is often something young women wish to address in their Best Hopes for their work with Abianda. Our Anger Volcano exercise helps young women to understand the valid reasons for their anger, and increases their emotional vocabulary and intelligence. In this module we demonstrate the exercise itself. We also explore key follow-up conversations around coping strategies, and encouraging the young women's critical consciousness.

Contextual Safeguarding Framework (CSF)Supports participants' skill development in the practical application and aims to increase confidence in supporting young women (YW) in the context of criminal exploitation. Through the use of group discussion, case studies and reflective tools, it provides participants space to reflect on their practice and identify opportunities for systems change. Increase awareness and understanding of the(CSF) including exploration of the four principles and two levels of(CFS). Explore examples of evidence informed practice in utilising this framework with (YW) Reflective consideration of barriers to implementing the(CSF) across the sector. Discuss how the(CFS) could be implemented throughout participants’ own organisations.

We conduct this contextual safety planning exercise with young women to minimise risk, and build on the strategies they are already using to keep safe. The exercise helps young women feel more skilled, confident and independent, and may support her move towards her Best Hopes.

Elevate aims for young women to build their critical thinking, and to develop essential work and life skills. Elevate also considers some of the barriers that young women may face when trying to access educational, training and employment opportunities. With support from Abianda’s Participation team, young women will be working in a group using interactive, participatory and creative activities to explore topics around leadership, effective communication and listening skills, solution-focused practice as well as aspects of identity. Participants will also develop presenting skills, and will put these into practice, with individual presentations at the end of the programme.

Our approach to information sharing is rooted in our youth work and participation principles. We have a trauma-informed approach to information sharing, and respect young women's empirical knowledge of their own lives. We recognise that young women are best placed to identify issues and solutions, and we tip the balance of power in favour of young women. This module explains what this means in practice, in relation to referral forms and evaluation reports, professionals meetings, and how we talk about confidentiality and safeguarding with young women who use our services.

The training provides an overview of the Modern Day Slavery Act and the National Referral Mechanism with a focus on young women and girls who experience - or are impacted by - county lines and criminal exploitation. The training will look at some of the law and legislation related to Modern Day Slavery and the NRM and how these can be used when supporting young women & girls affected by these issues.

This module examines the alignment of the principles of contextual safeguarding, and Abianda's own model of practice. We explore the ways we have embedded a Tier 1 contextual safeguarding approach within our work with young women and girls affected by gangs and county lines, and our progress towards taking a Tier 2 approach. Professionals are supported to consider how they could embed contextual safeguarding within their own work and organisations. Abianda's part of the VCS collective, working with University of Bedfordshire's Contextual Safeguarding programme. This is a space for developing contextual safeguarding approaches, and peer learning, in the voluntary sector.

The aim of the Week 1 is for young women to build trusting relationships with the team, develop new life skills as well as explore self-compassion through interactive participatory and creative activities group discussions and individual/team challenges The first week aims to build on their critical thinking to develop essential work and life skills such as presenting effective communication and listening skills and skills in constructive challenge and debating. We also focus on wellbeing through an exploration of managing complex emotions effective coping strategies and self-care plans.

This session has been created by young women with experience of secure, who want to share their experiences to help others. We examine the research around secure accommodation, and consider it through a contextual safeguarding lens. Attendees will hear feedback from our service users about they wanted to be supported through a period of secure, and an effective transition out of it.

We explore the language that may be used in relation to young women and girls affected by gangs and county lines - "streetwise", "hard to engage", "difficult" etc. We share young women's reflections on how this kind of language influences their experience of working with professionals. We explore how language creates power in the context of attendees' organisations, and how we can influence culture and society through our use of language.

An introduction to how young women and girls are affected by criminal exploitation and violence associated with ‘gangs’ and county line activity. The seminar uses case studies, interactive exercises and trainer presentations to explore a gendered understanding to young women's experiences. Exploring indicators of vulnerability, barriers to accessing services and ideas for practice with young women and girls.

This seminar takes a deeper dive into the impact of county lines exploitation on young women and girls and the unique and different ways they may be involved in this form of abuse and crime. We will explore key definitions relating to this form of exploitation, and provide an overview of legislation that can support our response. Through trainer-led presentation, group discussion and the use of case studies, we’ll explore the nature and complexity of risk that young women and girls experience and share learning from our practice in this area.

This seminar introduces the legislative and policy frameworks around modern slavery, trafficking and the role of the National Referral Mechanism in the context of county lines & criminal exploitation. Using discussion, case studies, and the sharing of Abianda’s experience of using the NRM, this seminar provides vital reflection and challenge of the mechanism and how it might more effectively support girls and young women.