Parents & carers affected by violence and exploitation
Safer London is closed over the festive season.
We will be closed from 24th December to 2nd January. During this period, our referral form will remain open, but we will not process any referrals until after 2nd January.
If you have safeguarding concerns about someone you have already referred, please be aware that we will not be able to process referrals until after 2nd January. If your concerns are urgent, please seek support from alternative services during this time.
If you are a young Londoner or a parent/carer looking to refer yourself or your family to our services, we recommend waiting until the new year to do so. In the meantime, if you need support, there are other services and resources available to assist you.
Our team of Specialist and Expert family Caseworkers provide one to one support to parents and carers whose children are affected by violence and exploitation.
We know the impact that violence and exploitation has on parents and carers. At Safer London we have family caseworkers, who work with them to develop their confidence and ability to help keep their children safe.
For up to 12 months parents and carers will work one to one with our Specialist or Expert Caseworkers, who will work alongside them to improve wellbeing and develop coping mechanisms, as well as advocating on parent/carers behalf.
This servcie is delivered through an Alliance Partnership consisting of Safer London, St Giles Trust, New Horizon Youth Centre and Anna Freud. This service is funded by the Mayor's Office for Police and Crime as part of the mayor’s wider commitment to reduce and prevent violence and exploitation and protect children and young people from being exploited or harmed.
Making a referral
We welcome referrals from all areas of the community whether directly from parent/carers, their families, friends or community groups, as well as professionals in statutory or non-statutory services.
When a parent/carer is referred into Safer London, our Front Door team screens and processes each referral. The team then allocates a dedicated Specialist Caseworker to the parent/carer, taking into consideration their individual circumstances and needs.
Referral criteria
Safer London supports parents/carers living in any London borough, whose children are, or have been, affected by violence, sexual exploitation or criminal exploitation (such as County Lines).
Please note we can’t accept referrals where the concerns solely relate to domestic abuse/violence or accessing housing. For a referral to be accepted there must be concerns around violence, criminal exploitation or sexual exploitation. This doesn’t mean we can’t address the issues of DA/DV or housing where they are present for parents/carers, but the primary reason for referral must be that there child/ren is/are affected by youth violence, criminal or sexual exploitation.
If you or someone you know needs specific support around DA/DV or housing there are organisations you can contact including:
- National Domestic Abuse helpline: 0808 2000 247
- Women’s Aid: http://www.womensaid.org.uk
- Shelter: shelter.org.uk
How to make a referral
Before making a referral, please ensure that the parent/carer has given consent to share their information with us.
When making a referral it is important you complete each section of the form with as much detailed information as possible. This will allow us to effectively process the referral and get the parent/carer the support they need.
Once you have submitted your referral, we will confirm receipt within 2 day working days. In this we will also include any requests for additional information, this may also include a request for any documents that may be needed to support the referral. Although we do understand sometimes this isn’t possible, we do politely ask you respond to any requests within five working days, as this significantly speeds up the process of allocating a Caseworker to the parent/carer.
To make a referral for a parent/carer please complete the online form.
Once a referral is received the Front Door team will contact the parent/carer to confirm they happy to access Safer London’s services and support.
As our services are voluntary, we ask that an agreement to access services declaration is completed. This is so the parent/carer understands the nature of the intervention, and that they are happy to go ahead with the support. The agreement to access services declaration is completed with support of the parent/carer’s Caseworker in their first session.
If you have any queries please email the Front Door at Referrals@saferlondon.org.uk
Make a referral
CLICK HERE
Our support worker was more than helpful if it wasn’t for her I don’t know what we would have done. She literally saved us. Anyone she work with will be lucky to have her as support.
Frequently asked questions
What does the support look like?
Parents/Carers referred to our services are allocated a dedicated Specialist or Expert Caseworker. The Caseworker will work with them on a one-to-one basis and includes support and guidance around safety awareness, improving health and emotional well-being, as well as improving relationships and family dynamics.
Interventions can last anywhere between 3 to 12 months dependent on the individual’s needs. The length of the intervention is decided on a case-by-case basis and is reviewed regularly throughout the intervention.
Can you work with a parent/carer if their child/ren aren’t working with Safer London?
Yes, we can work with parents/carers independent of whether their child/ren is being supported through our services.
What housing support does Safer London offer?
As an organisation Safer London is not a Housing Provider and we don’t have preferred access to any housing stock.
Our housing offer is that of support. We raise awareness of housing options available to young people and their families in London and provide advice on how best to access that resource. We can advocate on behalf of individuals, referring them to housing providers and speaking on their behalf.
In extreme circumstances where the risk of serious imminent harm is evident and verified, we will seek to assist the most vulnerable to find places of safety. However, it must be noted that decisions about who is deemed vulnerable and therefore in priority need is not determined by us but by the definitions contained within the Housing Act 1996 s189 and the interpretations of that made by Housing Needs departments.
I can't access the referral form
Make sure you are using Google Chrome, Firefox or Microsoft Edge when accessing the link. Other issues not allowing the form to open could include:
- An unstable internet connection.
- Firewall protection set up by your organisation – in this case please speak to your IT department/provider.
The referral form is asking me for a log in
If you are asked for a log in to access the form this is because you either have bookmarked the referral link or copied and pasted the link from your browser window.
Every time you wish to put in a new referral, you must do so by coming back to this page and clicking the link to the online form.
I am in the form, but I am unsure what information is required to complete it
Please check the ‘How to Make a Referral’ section on this page. If you need further assistance in completing the form please email our Front Door team referralandassessmentteam@saferlondon.org.uk at or call them on 0207 021 0301
The referral form won’t submit
If your form won’t submit it’s likely that your session has timed out. This can happen:
- due to a loss of internet connection,
- if you have had the form open for four hours and not submitted.
Unfortunately, the form doesn’t save information as you go. You will need to start the application again from the beginning.
I have made a referral but haven’t heard anything yet
We aim to get back to you within two working days of submitting a referral. If you haven’t heard from us and the timeframe has passed, please email the Front Door team referralandassessmentteam@saferlondon.org.uk.