Work continuing in Teesside to support vulnerable young people
The NSPCC and its partners want to reduce exploitation and violent crime
Last updated 1st May 2025
We are hearing about the work being done to support vulnerable young people and reducing exploitation and violent crime in Teesside.
The Corner House Youth Project in Stockton offer open access youth provision and works with the NSPCC on a number of safeguarding campaigns like 'Take Notice'.
Ashleigh Stafford is from there and she said: "As youth workers we're often at the front of any disclosures and we have really good relationships with our young people. We kind of have a different relationship to other professionals because I think sometimes young people can clam up and not want to talk about things.
"This has been a big issue that we've seen over the years so we really wanted to do something to promote not only professionals understanding the signs, but young people knowing that there's people out there that are experiencing these things and people are aware of it.
"I think sometimes we can get caught up in safeguarding rules of sticking to thresholds, sticking to referrals, having to hit the mark, having to have verbal disclosures. We don't need a verbal disclosure to be able to safeguard a child. Behaviours tell us enough.
"If we have enough professional curiosity to look at someone's behaviour and think 'hang on. This isn't what is normal for that person.' and we really want to promote not just sticking to guidelines, see past the paperwork and remember that there's human beings going through trauma.
"On the run-up to this campaign, we did a lot of work in focus groups and it's really helped our young people because it's promoted those conversations, and something that we've taken away from it is teaching our young people the power of saying no when you're not comfortable with something, it doesn't matter who they are."