Young victim support programme rolled-out across Cheshire

A youth victim support service piloted in Halton is set to be made available to all under 18s in Cheshire thanks to funding from police and crime commissioner (PCC) David Keane.

Got Your Back supports young victims of crime to recover from their ordeal whether they’ve reported the crime to the police or not. It also provides support for young people who are experiencing conflict such as bullying or family troubles. 

Since it was launched in 2019, the service has supported more than 1,000 young people across Runcorn and Halton via bespoke one-to-one support sessions.

Referrals to the service come via the police and partner agencies and it also helps young people that reach out for support via social media.

PCC David Keane said: “Got Your Back has provided vital support to many young people in Halton over the last 18 months so I’m pleased to be extending this service so it can soon benefit even more young people across the whole of Cheshire.

“A review I conducted before trialling this service in Halton identified that there wasn’t enough specialist support for victims of crime under the age of 18 in Cheshire, so I’m pleased that we’ve now got a specific service supporting young victims across the whole county.”

Got Your Back is delivered by charity, Remedi, who also deliver restorative justice services throughout Cheshire.

Remedi Cheshire manager, Lisa Gill, said: “The young people we support do not need to have reported the crime and do not need to have been a direct victim.  If their life has changed in any way following a crime, we’re here to support them.

“We work directly with young people to help them put their experiences behind them by developing a plan to assess what support they need. A regular review of progress is carried out to ensure they are feeling more able to cope and recover from their ordeal.

“We’re continuing to offer support during the pandemic and have adapted our support to make it available online. There is also still the option to meet young people face-to-face with social distancing measures in place.”

You can find out more about the service by visiting, www.gyb.org.uk If you know a young person who requires support, please email rj.hub@remediuk.cjsm.net with further details.

Pictured - PCC David Keane meeting with the Remedi team pre-Covid.