The Home Office has announced it has allocated more than £1.1 million to fund a new project to help young people in York and North Yorkshire to confront exploitation and abuse.
The City of York Council and North Yorkshire County Council have successfully applied for money from the Government’s Trusted Relationship Fund, which has been set up to help social workers, police, nurses and other professionals form close, protective relationships with children and young people at risk of sexual exploitation, gang crime or relationship abuse.
The York/North Yorkshire project aims to foster positive and long-term relationships between vulnerable children and young people at risk of exploitation and trained individuals including former gang members, mentors, and trusted adults already known to the children.
Cllr. Keith Myers, Executive member for education, children & young people said: “This is great news. York has a strong reputation for trialling new programmes in children’s services and evidence has already shown that creating a relationship with a trusted adult is an important way for vulnerable children to build resilience against exploitation. I hope this new programme will contribute towards helping young people avoid potentially disastrous situations and I will be watching this programme roll out with great interest.”
Minister for Crime, Safeguarding and Vulnerability, Victoria Atkins, said:
“Early intervention is so important to steer vulnerable young people away from abuse and harms.
“I am delighted that the Trusted Relationships fund will provide vital support to children in the North Yorkshire and York areas.”