Working with young women affected by gangs Abianda

Working with young women affected by gangs © Abianda 2019

We work with young women who are affected by gangs and county lines and with the professionals that support them © Abianda 2019

Spectrum of change • The Star Project: one-to-one support (10 -24) Individual • Train-the-trainer for young women • Preventative group work and one-to-one support (10 – 16) Practice • Training for professionals • Young Women’s Business Advisory Group • Bespoke participation projects © Abianda 2019 Political

Young women are experts of their own lives. Young women have innate resources, competence and resilience. We believe that: People affected by a problem are best placed to find the solutions. We must shift traditional power hierarchies in service delivery in order to enable young women's participation in solution building. We must support young women to have their voices heard in order that they can influence the design and delivery of services. We therefore adopt: Youth work principles Participation principles © Abianda 2019 Solution focused brief therapy techniques

We therefore adopt: This means that in our approac h we: Youth work principles Participation principles Work ‘alongside’ young women Work in a nonhierarchical way Start from where they are and be led by their “felt needs” Challenge unequal dynamics power & oppression Tip the balance of power in favour of young women Solution focused brief therapy techniques Work to the young woman’s ‘best hopes’ or desired outcomes Engage with competence Look for alternative narratives of her and her life where she has previously demonstrated competence Respect their empirical Obtain detailed descriptions of what knowledge of their life will be like when changes are Ensure young own lives made women inform future Encourage them practice and Trust the young woman’s ‘version of to develop a services events’ “critical Are interested in the young woman consciousness” of Recognise that and not the problem their worlds, their young women are experiences, and best placed to Develop techniques to understand identify issues and how they are and strategise around big and solutions © Abianda 2019 affected by these

Our work is trauma informed and trauma responsive because our services embody these five values: We never put pressure on young women to disclose. We Safety provide explanations of what we are doing and why. We are consistent in our approach. We do what we say we are going to do. We are transparent in Trustworthiness how we share young women’s information. We continually seek the young woman’s consent. Choice Collaboration We work to the young woman’s best hopes. We support her to influence decisions that affect her life. We work in a non-hierarchical way. We work shoulder-toshoulder and in partnership with young women. We help young women identify their own strengths and resilience. We provide advocacy support to help young Empowerment women navigate statutory services. We create spaces where young women take power and control. © Abianda 2019

Shifting the central question From: What is she doing wrong? To: How has she managed to survive? © Abianda 2019

“I never knew I was so powerful” © Abianda 2019

Structured programme Advocacy Relationships thinking Beginnings – getting started with SFBT, creating a safe space Anger, power, trauma and harm Critical Human rights and participation Risk for gangaffected young women Young women’s voices to Safety planning influence change Life skills and leadership development Sexual violence and exploitation Endings and evaluation Skills © Abianda 2019

Abianda is innovative o In developing an unique model of practice that is clearly articulated and, from the evidence from the evaluation, implemented in practice. o Approaches and techniques that establish trusting relationships quickly and engage successfully with young women, hitherto with a history of non-engagement. o Working closely with other agencies, specifically with regard to risk management and safeguarding in an area where there are specific safeguarding challenges. o In meeting MOPAC’s core principles and minimum standards that to date, have been established as important in working with this group of service users. Dr Lisa Bostock, 2015 © Abianda 2019

Recognition “Abianda takes a different approach to many other services for marginalised young women…” Observer, July 2016 Islington’s Integrated Gangs Team Partnership Working Children and Young People Now Award Winner, 2018 © Abianda 2019

Keep in touch o o hello@abianda. com 020 7686 0520 @abianda 1 www. abianda. com o http: //abianda. com/rescue-and-response-county-lines-activity/ o https: //randrlondon. ecconnect. org/form/Rescue%20 and%20 Response%2 0 Referral%20 Form © Abianda 2019