Relationship Building

Positive, healthy relationships and friendships with other
people are vital to young people. They enable them to feel safe and are good for their well-being.

While some relationships are positive, many of the young people we support have experienced difficult relationships; the most common reason for a young person to become homeless is through family breakdown.  

Our Psychologically Informed Environments framework commits to using trusting relationships as the primary tool for change, providing a ‘secure base’ for young people to develop stability, trust, skills, and social networks and progress towards independence. Our approach is young people-centred and underpinned by our ethos of keeping young people at the heart of everything we do. 

We help young people build supportive and consistent relationships, become less reliant on services, and are better equipped to navigate the path to adulthood and independence. 

If you’re a young person and need support, click the get help button below.

2024-2025 Highlights

• The design and delivery of our Professional Boundaries guidance and learning tools for colleagues, which supported Trauma Informed Practice by promoting greater understanding and consistency across the organisation.

• Occupational Therapy (OT) students completed a placement at our Charles England House Project. They worked alongside the young people the students to plant a herb garden, hosted film nights, craft workshops, and other activities to create a sense of community and peer support.

What’s in the Future?

Our Trauma-Informed Practice Action Plan involves consistently embedding trauma-informed approaches throughout our work.

The Heritage Project will continue to support young people to explore their life experiences, heritage, connections, and relationships with one another, helping to build their understanding, identity, and shared perspectives.

Music workshops with young parents will help build nurturing, learning, and confident relationships with their babies and children.

We will continue our work to raise awareness of Technology Facilitated Abuse by sharing resources with young people about healthy relationships. We’ll also focus on building relationships with specialist organisations to strengthen support and awareness in this area.

We will implement a new programme, Risks Outside the Home, working with young people, local authorities, and other organisations to support healthy relationships, reduce risk, and encourage and improve information sharing.

In 2024-25

81%
of young people have built, developed, or improved one or more positive relationships or relationships building skills.

WHAT YOUNG PEOPLE SAID

“I have people to speak to about my issues when I need them and Zoe referred me to a healthy relationships coach. When things happen with my ex I know I have someone specialist to turn to.”

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