St Giles

🔎 Are some young people being overlooked because of gender stereotypes and professional assumptions?

Join us on Tuesday 16 June, 10:00am–11:30am, for the second session in our free Violence & Exploitation Learning Series:

The Young People We Misread: Gender, Assumptions and Hidden Exploitation

This thought-provoking session will explore how gender, adultification and unconscious bias can influence the way young people affected by violence and exploitation are identified, understood and supported.

We'll examine why girls and young women can be overlooked, blamed or misunderstood, leaving experiences of coercion, fear, violence and exploitation hidden from view.

Together, we'll explore:
✔ How risk can present differently across gendered experiences
✔ Why safeguarding systems can sometimes miss signs of harm
✔ How practitioners can challenge victim-blaming and strengthen professional curiosity
✔ What better responses look like for vulnerable young people

📅 Tuesday 16 June 2026
⏰ 10:00am–11:30am
💻 Online and free to attend

Find out more and register here: https://www.stgilestrust.org.uk/join-st-giles-violence-exploitation-learning-series/

Join St Giles' Violence & Exploitation Learning Series - St Giles News post advertising St Giles' Violence & Exploitation Learning Series Hidden Harm. Trusted Adults. Better Responses.

We are hiring!

The post holder will join a newly established team comprising two full-time Mentors and a School Mentor, embedded within Telford & Wrekin Council’s Children’s Services Child Abused Through Exploitation (CATE) Team. The role is embedded within school environments to enable early risk identification, effective intervention, and sustained engagement with young people vulnerable to criminal exploitation. It requires the post holder to maintain a visible and integrated presence in schools while working collaboratively with safeguarding professionals.


To find out more about this role and others please visit the vacancies page on our website: https://www.stgilestrust.org.uk/current-vacancies/

We are so immensely proud of our five London Marathon Runners on Sunday, who we cheered on in the London sunshine!

Biggest thanks to:

Maria Adelaida Aristizabal Munoz
Tim Cross
Ian Stephenson
Samual Davies
Lara Buckley

And also to Chris Grisham who ran his second marathon for St Giles, this time swapping London for Paris!

They didn’t just run 26.2 miles - they trained for months to get to the start line, made it all the way over the finish line and together have raised over £12,000 for St Giles, with donations still coming in!

Thank you so much for your hard work and support Giles! Every step of the way has supported our work with people impacted by poverty, violence & exploitation and the justice system – helping them realise positive futures and new horizons.

If you are interested in undertaking a challenge in support of our work, you can find out more details here: https://www.stgilestrust.org.uk/support-us/fundraise-with-us/

Ready for a fresh start, Barnsley?

If you’re 16+ and looking for work — we’re here to support you 💼

We work with people who may be:
• Starting over after tough times
• New to the UK
• Veterans
• Facing homelessness
• Moving on from past convictions

We’ll help you:
✨ Build your CV
✨ Apply for jobs
✨ Prepare for interviews
✨ Stay supported even after you start work

This is about more than getting a job — it’s about confidence, stability, and your future.

📍 Based in Barnsley
📩 Message us to get started or refer someone who needs support: [email protected]

We are delighted that our Liberty Links van has been featured on BBC’s Farm 999.

Liberty Links helps people experiencing or at risk of domestic abuse in rural areas through bridging the gap between isolation and services.

It often just starts with a cuppa on the van and ends in life-changing support.

Domestic abuse in rural areas is often hidden and difficult to measure due to isolation, lack of services and barriers to engagement – all factors which increase vulnerability.

Our colleague Kelly Broadbent explains how the service provides discreet, compassionate outreach support for individuals who are often in desperate need of help but have no-one to turn to.

Kelly is featured at 11 minutes 35 seconds in: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m002lvw3/farm-999-series-1-5-flytippers-get-caught-in-the-act

As Sexual Abuse and Sexual Violence Awareness Week draws to a close, let’s talk about what exploitation really looks like and how early, joined-up support can prevent harm.

We know that young people affected by sexual exploitation often don’t trust systems especially when they’ve been let down before.

Projects such as St Giles' Wolverhampton-based Expect Respect supports young women at risk. Our team build relationships with the young women based on mutual trust, underscored by lived experience. They are a credible source of advice and guidance and a real-life positive alternative to the street narrative.

Trauma-informed, relationship-based support and joined-up working between services are key to keeping children safe and helping them recover.

Understanding the full picture matters. So if you are a young woman in Cheltenham your voice is important. St Giles is working with local partners in Cheltenham to learn more about the experiences and perspectives of girls and young women in Cheltenham. Through taking part in an anonymous online survey, you can help make Cheltenham a safer and better place for girls and young women. Here is the link to the survey:
https://forms.cloud.microsoft/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=DQSIkWdsW0yxEjajBLZtrQAAAAAAAAAAAAZAAJIoGEJUM1o1Q1E3TUhQWUdLMkJNTE9QS1pBOUZSRC4u&route=shorturl

Sexual exploitation thrives in silence.

This Sexual Abuse and Sexual Violence Awareness Week, let’s talk about what exploitation really looks like and how early, joined-up support can prevent harm.

Sexual exploitation can be hidden but the impact is real.

Warning signs may include going missing, sudden changes in behaviour, unexplained gifts, or new controlling relationships.

Early, compassionate support can prevent harm and help young people stay safe.

Understanding the full picture matters. So if you are a young woman in Cheltenham your voice is important. St Giles is working with local partners in Cheltenham to learn more about the experiences and perspectives of girls and young women in Cheltenham. Through taking part in an anonymous online survey, you can help make Cheltenham a safer and better place for girls and young women.

Complete the survey here: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=DQSIkWdsW0yxEjajBLZtrQAAAAAAAAAAAAZAAJIoGEJUM1o1Q1E3TUhQWUdLMkJNTE9QS1pBOUZSRC4u&route=shorturl

Violence and school exclusion often go hand in hand.

By intervening early and supporting young people beyond hospital discharge, St Giles helps rebuild stability and focus.

93% of young people improved their school attendance and engagement following our support.

Prevention works if it’s properly resourced.

Since 2015, St Giles has supported children and young people admitted to hospital with violence-related injuries, expanding into Emergency Departments in 2019 and 2020. Over the past 10 years, our hospital teams have helped 1586 children and young people reach safety and stability.

A five-year study at The Royal London Hospital showed a 7% re-admission rate, compared with a national average of 30–35%.

We’re proud to deliver this life-saving work in partnership with the NHS, London Violence Reduction Unit, West Midlands Violence Reduction Partnership, and Bedfordshire Violence and Exploitation Prevention Partnership.

The impact is clear. Continued investment will ensure it can continue and reach more young people who need it.

Hospital admission can be a turning point if the right support is there.

Our hospital-based violence reduction teams work with young people at the point of crisis, addressing the underlying issues that increase risk.

The impact is clear: 88% reduced their risk and exposure to further violence.

This is what early intervention achieves and why sustaining it matters.

Since 2015, St Giles has supported children and young people admitted to hospital with violence-related injuries, expanding into Emergency Departments in 2019 and 2020. Over the past 10 years, our hospital teams have helped 1586 children and young people reach safety and stability.

A five-year study at The Royal London Hospital showed a 7% re-admission rate, compared with a national average of 30–35%.

We’re proud to deliver this life-saving work in partnership with the NHS, London Violence Reduction Unit, West Midlands Violence Reduction Partnership, and Bedfordshire Violence and Exploitation Prevention Partnership.

The impact is clear. Continued investment will ensure it can continue and reach more young people who need it.

Trusted relationships matter. Following our intervention in hospitals, over 90% of young people improved their relationships with their family or carers.

Since 2015, St Giles has supported children and young people admitted to hospital with violence-related injuries, expanding into Emergency Departments in 2019 and 2020. Over the past 10 years, our hospital teams have helped 1586 children and young people reach safety and stability.

A five-year study at The Royal London Hospital showed a 7% re-admission rate, compared with a national average of 30–35%.

We’re proud to deliver this life-saving work in partnership with the London Violence Reduction Unit, West Midlands Violence Reduction Partnership, and Bedfordshire Violence and Exploitation Prevention Partnership, alongside our partners in the NHS.

The impact is clear. Continued investment will ensure it can continue and reach more young people who need it.