It is important that people and organisations that work with young people feel supported, valued and empowered. As a result we focus on supporting both our young people and practitioners to build more resilience and gain the ability and confidence to interact with each other.

As a result we assess and identify what kind of support practitioners may need, including things like trauma informed practices and frontline equipment to supporting engagement through online/web based resources etc.

Be Direct - We say what we mean. A lot of trust issues come from the lack of clarity and honesty.

Ask Questions - Make sure people understand the information that is being shared. Asking questions also ensures people are engaged and following what you are saying

Share Stories - Real life stories help to simplify conversations and make it easier to relate to the topic. It also put people in a position where they can seek advice from those who have been in similar situations.

We must look at different methods of sharing information quickly and broadly. This means we cannot ignore the use of social media and the internet.

• There are 53 million active social media users in the UK which is 77.9% of the UK population.

• 98% of UK users use social media on their mobile devices.

• 57% of overall Instagram users in the UK are women.

• 87% of children aged 12-15 have a social media profile in the UK.

We should celebrate our young people and those that work with them day in day out to help them overcome the barriers they face.

With London having some of the highest rates of youth violence in the UK and over 700,000 children being in poverty (37%), it is vital to highlight the positive contribution our amazing young people are making in order to give them hope and something to aspire to.

Over last 5 years:

• Number of suspects under 18 fallen by 50%

• Number of suspects 18-25 fallen by 59%

• Serious violent offences down by 22% overall

We must start giving them hope and positivity.