Children and Young People’s Service

What is the Children and Young People’s Support After Crime Service?

Victims First's Children and Young People’s Support After Crime Service is provided by SAFE! and is available to children and young people aged 5 – 18 years old across Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Milton Keynes.

The service works with young people affected by any crime. In particular, SAFE! has extensive experience in supporting young people who have witnessed or been a victim of domestic abuse and sexual violence.

Many young people have been hurt by crime, with under 18s twice as likely to be victims of crime as adults, and the effects can often lead to negative feelings and people struggling to cope with the impact of what they have experienced.

• Has something happened which you need to talk about?
• Do you feel unsafe or worry about someone else being unsafe?
• Do you worry about something that has happened to you?
• Do you worry about something that has happened to someone else?
• Is it affecting your feelings, mood and/or behaviour?

Have you:

• Been sexually abused or assaulted
• Witnessed or been a victim of domestic abuse
• Been mugged or physically assaulted
• Been abused by cybercrime
• Or been a victim of any other crime

If you answered yes to any of the above then the Children and Young People’s Service can help you.

What support do we offer?

Being hurt by a crime can be tough. You might be coping with difficult feelings such as being angry, frightened, upset or guilty. You might want someone to talk to who will not judge you.

SAFE! Project Workers will:

• Meet you where you feel most comfortable; at home, school or a community centre
• Listen to you, and help you think about what you might want to do next.
• Give you space to talk about what happened and what you're going through
• Help you think about keeping safe
• Give you information about reporting a crime and what might happen if you do report
• Give you information about who else might be able to help you

Our service offers a wide variety of support options including story-telling, play therapy, restorative approaches, therapeutic listening and group activities in addition to comprehensive digital support. It is up to you how much or how little support you want and you are free to stop support whenever you like.

Refer yourself or someone else to the service

To refer yourself to the Children and Young People’s Service, please contact Victims First on 0300 1234 148 or complete our Children and Young People's referral form. 

If you're a parent, guardian or professional looking to refer a child or young person for support, please complete our Children and Young People's referral form.