We recognise children and young people at risk of, or engaged in, high levels of anti-social behaviour or serious youth violence are often vulnerable to child criminal exploitation, both as victims and perpetrators.

We advocate for children and young people and support them to access the help they need, offering a range of relevant and targeted interventions.

Our experience

LPW has significant experience of working with children and young people, including the most vulnerable. This cohort is seldom heard and often furthest from employment, education and training.

We have a deep understand of contextual safeguarding with the communities in which we work, and have close links with other agencies, professionals and schools.

Our role is to provide consistent opportunities for children and young people to engage; to build trust; and to help children and young people see they have choices and can make positive changes to their behaviour(s) and life.

 “LPW has been instrumental in delivering a programme that directly tackles the problem of anti-social behaviour. They have engaged with children and young people when other services have been unable to. They have been amazing.”

— Bristol City Council Commissioner

“Dealing and selling drugs is often the only thing they know and is their income. It's my role to help them feel better about themselves, raise aspirations and see alternative choices which can give them safe exit routes out of criminality.”

— LPW Engagement worker

What we provide

Our LPW Changes support can include:

  • Working 1:1 with children and young people who are at risk of, or victims of, child criminal exploitation. We help them to explore and develop their interests and widen their aspirations. Our work is always tailored to the individual’s needs.

  • Detached work in the community, meeting children and young people where they are.

  • Schools-based workshops for children and young people identified as being at risk, or to raise awareness of child criminal exploitation, gangs and grooming among staff.

“Young people don’t like to come out of their comfort zone because of being in a gang and not wanting to be caught out. They’re like onions, you have to strip back the layers one by one and that takes time.”

— LPW Engagement worker

“This is the only place you can play basketball for free with other people you wouldn’t normally play with, make new friends and connections, as well as having Trevor [the LPW engagement worker] there for anything we might need to talk through. He’s helped me with a few things over the past year, it’s a great place and vibe.”

— Young person who attends one of our basketball sessions