Your Voice Matters
Following the success of my book titled, The Girl In The Pink Shoes, my aim is to develop Your Voice UK.
What is Your Voice Matters?
Your Voice Matters, is a charity designed to offer / give help and accommodation to vulnerable children / young adults, up to the age of eighteen, who have been removed from abusive and sexual abuse situations by social services.
My aim is to open safe place centres across the UK, that will offer a 1st point of contact and accommodation, with the added benefit of access to qualified and experienced onsite therapist and counselors, to assist with trama and other mental illness or anxiaty the child / young adult is likely to be experiencing due to domestic or sexual abuse they have suffered and been removed from, by social services.
Many children / young adults who have suffered abuse often suffer with PTSD, Stockholm syndrome, self harm, suicidal tendencies and drug and alcohol dependancies.
1 in 5 Females, 1 in 13 Males are now thought to be suffering abuse and a further 100 thousand children / young adults are expected to flood the social services within the next 24 months. With this added pressure many are likely to not receive the added help and assistance needed, as there is currently a three year waiting list with the NHS, for a child to have the opportunity to seek help.
Unfortunately without the help so desperately needed, 1 in 3, will go on to become abusers themselves, without any help or assistance.
1.5 out of the 3 are estimated to end up homeless or suffering from drink and drug addiction and 3 out of 3 will be left suffering from depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues like PTSD.
By working with the child / young adults within one of Your Voice Matters safe place centres, I aim to open, we can help them adjust to a life away from abuse and give them the help and support so desperately needed.
From a society point of view and benefit there is a very good chance the centres will help bring down future numbers of, domestic and sexual attacks, depression and suicide rates, homeless figures and drug and alcohol dependancy.
Many foster carers are not equipped with the tools to provide support to those who are understandably distressed and in need of counselling and additional support, to try and help a child or young adult, adjust to a new situation and unfamiliar surroundings they have been placed in.
Due to this many foster carers will shy away from children that have been removed from abusive situations and this is where Your Voice Matters, will offer much needed support.
Once a child has been placed in our care, within one of the safe place centres, they can benefit from many forms of therapy and counselling available at the centre, as we understand not everyone is the same and aim to tailor a program that works based on the child / young adults interests.
The centres aim to accommodate various activities for the children / young adults to participate in, while working alongside one of our experienced and qualified therapists or counsellors.
Each site aims to offer a small farming and equine facilities, as studies show animals and plants can be very calming and also encourage people to talk and heal from a situation they have suffered.
Wood work, arts and crafts, gymnasium, music rooms, even tutoring facilities to help children / young adults catch up on missed education aim to be offered at the Safe Place Centres
In addition to this, Your Voice Matters, aims to set up a 24 hour help and advice line, where a child/ young adult can call a free phone number, to obtain help and advice.
Your Voice Matters, is a charity designed to offer / give help and accommodation to vulnerable children / young adults, up to the age of eighteen, who have been removed from abusive and sexual abuse situations by social services.
My aim is to open safe place centres across the UK, that will offer a 1st point of contact and accommodation, with the added benefit of access to qualified and experienced onsite therapist and counselors, to assist with trama and other mental illness or anxiaty the child / young adult is likely to be experiencing due to domestic or sexual abuse they have suffered and been removed from, by social services.
Many children / young adults who have suffered abuse often suffer with PTSD, Stockholm syndrome, self harm, suicidal tendencies and drug and alcohol dependancies.
1 in 5 Females, 1 in 13 Males are now thought to be suffering abuse and a further 100 thousand children / young adults are expected to flood the social services within the next 24 months. With this added pressure many are likely to not receive the added help and assistance needed, as there is currently a three year waiting list with the NHS, for a child to have the opportunity to seek help.
Unfortunately without the help so desperately needed, 1 in 3, will go on to become abusers themselves, without any help or assistance.
1.5 out of the 3 are estimated to end up homeless or suffering from drink and drug addiction and 3 out of 3 will be left suffering from depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues like PTSD.
By working with the child / young adults within one of Your Voice Matters safe place centres, I aim to open, we can help them adjust to a life away from abuse and give them the help and support so desperately needed.
From a society point of view and benefit there is a very good chance the centres will help bring down future numbers of, domestic and sexual attacks, depression and suicide rates, homeless figures and drug and alcohol dependancy.
Many foster carers are not equipped with the tools to provide support to those who are understandably distressed and in need of counselling and additional support, to try and help a child or young adult, adjust to a new situation and unfamiliar surroundings they have been placed in.
Due to this many foster carers will shy away from children that have been removed from abusive situations and this is where Your Voice Matters, will offer much needed support.
Once a child has been placed in our care, within one of the safe place centres, they can benefit from many forms of therapy and counselling available at the centre, as we understand not everyone is the same and aim to tailor a program that works based on the child / young adults interests.
The centres aim to accommodate various activities for the children / young adults to participate in, while working alongside one of our experienced and qualified therapists or counsellors.
Each site aims to offer a small farming and equine facilities, as studies show animals and plants can be very calming and also encourage people to talk and heal from a situation they have suffered.
Wood work, arts and crafts, gymnasium, music rooms, even tutoring facilities to help children / young adults catch up on missed education aim to be offered at the Safe Place Centres
In addition to this, Your Voice Matters, aims to set up a 24 hour help and advice line, where a child/ young adult can call a free phone number, to obtain help and advice.
What do these centres offer?
The centres will be designed to offer a place of safety, with overnight accommodation while running carefully designed therapy and counselling programs, using the aid of the many activities the centre will have on site, ie Farm, music rooms etc.
During a child / young adult’s time spent at the centre, we aim to help a child adjust to the trauma they have experienced, from sexual / domestic abuse and give them a positive experience and help to manage life, before been placed with a full time foster care placement.
24 hour on site risk assessment and counselling will also be provided, on a one to one basis or on our 24 hour hotline.
Meeting and interview rooms, so the police or social services, can conduct interviews with a child in an atmosphere designed, so a child feels more relaxed and with one of our trained members of staff to assist during the interview.
These Interview rooms can also be used for helping a child or young adult be prepared for an upcoming court case or family therapy sessions, before a child is released back to a parent, sibling or family member to conduct risk assessment for the child or young adult’s safety, or for help and advice moving forward.
Your Voice Matters aims to work closely with social services and other private companies that are involved with foster care, with a main objective of offering help and support to benefit a child or young adult.
The centres will be designed to offer a place of safety, with overnight accommodation while running carefully designed therapy and counselling programs, using the aid of the many activities the centre will have on site, ie Farm, music rooms etc.
During a child / young adult’s time spent at the centre, we aim to help a child adjust to the trauma they have experienced, from sexual / domestic abuse and give them a positive experience and help to manage life, before been placed with a full time foster care placement.
24 hour on site risk assessment and counselling will also be provided, on a one to one basis or on our 24 hour hotline.
Meeting and interview rooms, so the police or social services, can conduct interviews with a child in an atmosphere designed, so a child feels more relaxed and with one of our trained members of staff to assist during the interview.
These Interview rooms can also be used for helping a child or young adult be prepared for an upcoming court case or family therapy sessions, before a child is released back to a parent, sibling or family member to conduct risk assessment for the child or young adult’s safety, or for help and advice moving forward.
Your Voice Matters aims to work closely with social services and other private companies that are involved with foster care, with a main objective of offering help and support to benefit a child or young adult.