• A mentoring programme for victims of violence based in four of Greater Manchester’s hospitals has led to a reduction in violent experiences in its first two years
• The programme has since been scaled up with community and custody referral routes now live
• The findings come from an independent evaluation by Crime and Well-Being Big Data Centre at Manchester Metropolitan University

Greater Manchester’s ‘Navigator’ service, commissioned by the city-region’s Violence Reduction Unit (VRU), has led to increased positive mental wellbeing and feelings of safety as well as a reduction in experiences of violence, an independent report has found.

Rolled out in 2020 across four hospitals in Greater Manchester (Royal Bolton Hospital, Salford Royal Hospital, Manchester Royal Infirmary and Manchester Royal Children’s Hospital) the Navigator programme was set up to support young people aged between 10 and 25 years old presenting at hospital with injuries resulting from violence.

Crime and Well-Being Big Data Centre recently evaluated the first two years of the service on behalf of the VRU, which is being delivered by the charity, Oasis UK.

Navigators help victims to cope with and recover from their experiences to prevent retaliation or repeat victimisation and to reduce exploitation.

This is achieved through various types of tailored support such as mentoring, building trust, identifying goals and signposting to other community provision.

Hannah Barton, Oasis GM Navigator Co-Ordinator said: “This project has been such a privilege to work on. We have encountered so many incredible young people, parents, carers and community members that have shown incredible resolve to move beyond the circumstances they have found themselves in.

“We are so grateful to the clinical staff and referring agencies that have enabled us to do this work and to the young people for giving us the opportunity to offer support at such a critical moment in their lives.

“It is easy to make assumptions when it comes to difficult topics such as violence but this project demonstrates the value of listening and allowing young people and communities the space to ask for what they need and to be given the support and opportunity to reach their potential.”

As well as identifying successes, the evaluation highlighted opportunities for improvement such as trying to prevent injury in the first place by working with young people in their communities and offering support as early as possible. This learning contributed to the decision to scale-up the programme by allowing Navigators to address the social issues that may lead to an individuals’ increased risk of violence.

Deputy Mayor of Greater Manchester, Kate Green, who is responsible for the Violence Reduction Unit said: “Building trust is one of the most vital skills needed across much of our work in the VRU but particularly for our Navigators.

“The service is about giving young people a key contact, prioritising that person and really hearing what they have to say, advocating for them and showing that their needs, wants and ambitions are important.

“Oasis is extremely experienced in violence reduction programmes and recruits a diverse staff base from across Greater Manchester in order to break down barriers and ensure young people can connect with staff, ultimately leading to them feeling accepted and heard.

“I’m not surprised that this programme has demonstrated positive impact – it’s true community-led work in action but there’s more to be done. We look forward to continuing this vital work and offering some of our most vulnerable young people a safe, confidential space to access the support they need.”

The Crime and Well-Being Big Data Centre considered all elements of the service including referrals, participation, feedback from hospital-based colleagues as well as a lifestyle questionnaire, which was completed by some participants upon starting the programme and again upon exit.

Based on the data collected, the Centre found that the programme has been effective in reducing experiences of violence and in improving participants’ mental wellbeing, lifestyles and feelings of safety.

Mark Ellison from Crime and Well-Being Big Data Centre said: “There were positive views on the effectiveness of the Navigator service, both from the young people it supported and from staff working in the four hospital sites.

“Our findings are significant – it was clear from interviews with professionals and the figures we collated that there were statistically positive impacts.

“Hospital staff also said that they considered the programme as a pressing need, which provided them with the reassurance that the psychological impact of the trauma experienced by the young people was addressed as well as their medical needs.”

Find out more about the Navigator programme.

Article posted on: 13/08/2024 08:08am