Support for children and young people
Our specialist teams support children and young people who have experienced abuse, helping them to feel safe.
About the support
All support delivered to children and young people is provided through a trauma lens, with age and developmentally appropriate intervention programmes but also led by safety and consent. Our Children & Young People teams are trained in multiple approaches to support children and young people between 8-12 weeks in length.
Our programmes aim to improve children and young people’s emotional resilience, improve their level of safety, develop their awareness of unhealthy behaviour, and empower them to make informed choices.
We will consider the child’s wishes to work with them directly without involvement of their parent or carer, setting clear expectations around safeguarding. Support will be delivered via 1:1 sessions and group work developed for children and young people, using recognised domestic abuse interventions and bespoke groupwork. Where group work takes place children and young people will be ‘group ready’ – ensuring this is something they want to engage in and ensuring they are matched appropriately for group work in line with known risks and support needs.
Our services
DASSL safe accommodation and community bases are Psychologically Informed Environments (PIE), designed to consider the emotional and psychological needs of children and young people.
We will create individual safety plans using tools such as Helping Hands, and will monitor progress via Case Management systems, and specialist resources including the Outcomes Star.
Children’s Outreach Children and Young People’s outreach will work alongside adult outreach to support children and families in the community. This includes independent support for children and young people without the involvement of parents, where appropriate or necessary, for children and young people’s safety and wellbeing. They will build strong working relationships with agencies utilising the Family Hub model to create accessible pathways for children and young people into services.
Support for children & young people in safe accommodation
Our refuges and safe accommodation provide a safe home for children and young people. We provide a positive environment where children and young people feel safe and live free from abuse, helping them to thrive in all areas of their development.
Our experienced Children’s Support Workers facilitate therapeutic one-to-one and group sessions, which provide opportunities for children to express their thoughts and feelings, both verbally and through drawing, writing, painting and free or structured play.
DASSL safe accommodation and community bases are Psychologically Informed Environments (PIE), designed to consider the emotional and psychological needs of children and young people
We will create individual safety plans using tools such as Helping Hands, and will monitor progress via Case Management systems, and specialist resources including the Outcomes Star.
Our Programmes
How to refer
Call 0300 3033 581 for free
For immediate support, call us now. We're available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
contact@dassl.org.uk
Please note that this email is operated 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday and outside these times you may not receive an immediate response.
Live Chat
You can access our live chat service every day during three dedicated timeslots: 10am – 12pm, 2pm – 4pm and 8pm – 10pm, access from our home page
Languages
If you need help in another language, we have a multi-lingual staff team with many languages or we can arrange for an interrupter. You can also access the Women’s Aid Survivors Handbook , which is available in various languages.