Children and Young People

London Black Women’s Project (LBWP) believes that any service we deliver must equally prioritize the needs of children and young people (CYP), recognizing them as independent service users. Historically, domestic abuse services have naturally prioritized women, while the distinct needs of children and young people were often secondary.

At LBWP, we are actively rebuilding and developing our services to ensure that the voices of children and young people are heard clearly and integrated into our support structures through the Lead Family Support Worker role. CYP actively engage in activities and co-develop services, ensuring the support provided genuinely reflects their lived experiences and needs. Our approach is tailored and acknowledges the diverse experiences children may face due to racism, discrimination, and oppression. Intersectional considerations and trauma-informed practices are equally relevant to CYP as they are to their mothers and carers.

We adopt a holistic, whole-family approach to healing.

Working with Mothers:

• Explaining the roles of various agencies (e.g., children's social care, Cafcass).
• Joint and self-assessments of mothers' parenting strengths.
• Personalized parenting support and access to resources.
• Advocacy support ensuring mothers' voices and wishes are recognized by statutory bodies.
• Therapeutic one-to-one support through art and drawing.
• Respite play sessions.
• Maternity liaison and support.

Working with Children and Young People:

• Children’s groups and personalized play sessions.
• Co-production activities, including collaboration with Women’s Aid to develop a national CYP pack for use in refuges.
• Holiday play activities.
• Support in applying for school, nursery, and college places.
  
• Advocating for children's disability rights, ensuring access to education and Specia Educational Needs (SEN) support.
  
• Fundraising and addressing economic challenges ('poverty trap') to provide access to play venues, resources, and essential equipment such as buggies for users with No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF).

Working with Professionals:

Aligned with "Working Together to Safeguard Children and Families," our Lead Family Support Worker collaborates closely with statutory partners, including midwives, social workers, health visitors, and educators.

We have established partnerships and are actively collaborating with:

• Cafcass on their Domestic Abuse Policy.
• Women’s Aid to create and distribute the National Children's Pack.