Safe and Sound gains national recognition

Derbyshire’s specialist child exploitation charity, Safe and Sound, which carries out some of its work in and around Long Eaton, has become the first in the UK to be officially recognised as a Youth Rights Champion by a national organisation.

The Association for Young People’s Health (AYPH) works to ensure that all young people aged ten to 25 have the best possible health and wellbeing and equal access to high quality services.

The organisation invited Safe and Sound to participate in its new ‘We’re All Right’ right-based programme focused on young people who have experienced sexual violence.

Young people supported by Safe and Sound contributed to the development of a resource based on the rights of the child and detailing how they wanted services to be delivered using a rights based approach, which has been embedded into the charity’s staff training and induction.

This commitment has been recognised by AYPH who have recognised Safe and Sound as the first Youth Rights Champion under the programme.

Safe and Sound chief executive Tracy Harrison explained: “Young people’s views are at the heart of our work – not only to ensure they have a voice on their own lived experiences but also in how they want to be supported to help them move forward with their lives.

“We were keen to participate in AYPH’s ‘We’re All Right’ programme as it perfectly reflects our own ethos and the resources that our own young people developed are now firmly embedded into our own staff induction and training.

“I am extremely proud of the young people involved and in our team who have wholeheartedly embraced this programme.

“It will ensure that we work in the way that our young people tell us they value to ensure we can support and protect them in the best way possible at such a crucial turning point in their lives.”

For more information about the work of Safe and Sound and how to support them, please visit www.safeandsoundgroup.org.uk.

Picture shows: Safe and Sound CEO Tracy Harrison (left) and Project Manager Helen West with the Youth Rights Champion certificate.