A charity which has helped more than a thousand young people turn their back on crime after being arrested or hospitalised last year, has been recognised with two anti-violence awards.
St Giles’ work in hospitals and custody suites across the West Midlands sees caseworkers offer intensive support to vulnerable young people at what is considered to be a teachable moment.
The team from St Giles were among 100 anti-violence champions to receive certificates at the opening ceremony of the Knife Angel sculpture, in Sandwell, on Wednesday 2 October.
The West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) and the West Midlands Violence Reduction Partnership (VRP) help fund the work carried out by St Giles and were also named anti-violence champions in recognition of their efforts to tackle knife crime.
The PCC Simon Foster said: “The dedicated support St Giles offers children and young people during their most vulnerable moments, has made a profound difference; not only to those individuals but also their families and wider communities right across the West Midlands.
“When prevention and early intervention works the success stories often go untold, so I’m pleased that the valuable work St Giles does has been celebrated so publicly.
“The complexities and challenges of offering this kind of intensive support cannot be underestimated and while I am honoured to have been presented with my own certificate it is the people working on the frontline that deserve the credit and their moment in the spotlight.”
The two projects operate across a number of custody suites and hospitals Emergency Departments (EDs) in the West Midlands.
In hospitals, trauma-informed Caseworkers support young people emotionally and practically both in hospital and once they are discharged. The aim of this work is to reduce future violence.
This work has seen re-admission rates for weapons wounds reduce from 44% to 7%.
Interventions following arrest typically involve addressing any underlying issues around mental health, substance use and poverty, before helping young people access opportunities around education, employment and training.
From January 2023 to January 2024, these two interventions reached more than 1,350 children and young people aged between 11 and 25-years-old.
Business Development Manager for the St Giles Trust in the Midlands, Jade Hibbert, said: “Since 2019, we have been working hard to support children, young people and their families across Sandwell through our A&E Violence Navigator Service in Sandwell Hospital and our In Reach Police Service in Oldbury Custody block.
“We are proud to be an integral part of such an incredible, multi-agency team across Sandwell and thankful to our funders, the West Midlands Violence Reduction Partnership and the Police and Crime Commissioner for their continued support.”
The Knife Angel sculpture has been brought to the borough by Sandwell Council and the Safer Sandwell Partnership working together with British Ironwork Centre, West Midlands Police and the West Midlands Violence Reduction Partnership (VRP).
Follow the Knife Angel story in Sandwell on the council’s webpage and on social media with the #KnifeAngelSandwell hashtag.
