Listen Up - Social Welfare Portal

listenup!52 | Chapter 7The emphasis is on supportingthe young people to gain the skillsto improve their life, and part of thisprocess involves the young peopledefining what ‘getting worse’would involve – in a sense, definingwhat it is they wish to prevent.Project worker, The Market Place, LeedsSensitivity to young people in distressPart of a holistic approachAlthough the organisations worked with youngpeople to help prevent them from developingproblems or to prevent problems getting worse,there were times when it was not possible to preventa crisis. Additionally, some young people accessedtheir service for the first time at a time when theywere already in urgent need of help. Services weretherefore sometimes faced with young people whowere contemplating suicide or self-harming. Theyworked to support young people through thosetimes, and often continued to work with them afterthese periods of extreme distress.Case Study“We offer intense support over 24-48hour periods for young people goingthrough a crisis who do not wish to involveother agencies. We also offer support toindividuals in custody who may be in crisis.“In all instances of crisis support, weensure that the follow-through of the crisisis sustained and maintained until suchtime that there is mutual agreement withthe young person that they are happy tocontinue without.”Project worker, Community Links, Canning TownSome organisations provided this support as part of anongoing programme working specifically with youngpeople who were experiencing severe difficulties:“IceBreak concentrates on young peoplecontemplating suicide, talking about self-harm orwith attachment difficulties.”Project worker, IceBreak, The Zone, Plymouth