Sexual abuse toolkit: support for young people in Hertfordshire
Public Health Nursing Team
The Public Health Nursing Team provide a confidential ‘Chat Health’ texting service: 07480635050, where a young person can ask for help or advice on a range of issues such: weight and exercise, stress or anxiety, relationships and sexual health.
The service runs from 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday including the school holidays.
After 5pm and on weekends, the service is covered by a bounce back message explaining where to get support or help.
For more information visit:
Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust: School Nursing
HertsSARC
The Herts SARC (Sexual Assault Referral Centre) offers free support and practical help to anyone in Hertfordshire who experiencing sexual violence and/or sexual abuse. The team includes specially trained independent sexual violence advisors who will support those who have been assaulted.
Herts Rape Crisis
This organisation provides a free and confidential service to women aged 18 and over who live in Hertfordshire and have been raped or sexually abused or assaulted at any time in their lives. It also supports families and friends who are supporting survivors of sexual violence.
Herts Sunflower
This is Hertfordshire’s domestic abuse support network. It provides free and confidential support for anyone affected by domestic abuse.
Services for Young People
Services for Young People provides a range of sexual health services for young people aged 13-19 at its young people's centres. These services are free and confidential and include:
- free condoms through the Condom Wallet Scheme
- free chlamydia and gonorrhoea testing*
- free pregnancy testing
- Sexual and general health advice
To make an appointment please call your local Services for Young People team (select your district from the left-hand menu on the link below)
Services for Young People: Sexual health services
- If you are showing symptoms please contact Sexual Health Hertfordshire on 0300 008 5522.
Support programmes and projects
Our specially trained Youth Workers deliver projects and programmes to support those at risk of child sexual exploitation and to educate young people on this serious issue, including the Services for Young People Healthy Relationships Programme.
The Healthy Relationships Programme is suitable for all young people over the age of 13. The programme raises young people’s awareness of child exploitation and may be most appropriate to those potentially at risk of abuse and/or exploitation, with low self-esteem or vulnerable due to their personal circumstance.
Young people will learn how to keep themselves safe online and within the community, how they can recognise abusive behaviours and know how to access support, therefore equipping young people with the knowledge to make positive choices.
Services for Young People: Make a referral
Services for Young People also run The Reaching Out Programme. The Reaching Out Programme is for young people who are at risk of exploitation, or for those showing early or low-level signs of dangerous risk-taking behaviour. The programme is delivered by Services for Young People Youth Workers or Personal Advisors and can be delivered in groups and one to one.
The aim of the programme is to prevent the level of risk increasing and to help young people already engaged in higher risk activities, to minimise this behaviour and provide support to help them effect positive change
The main objectives are to:
- work with young people to understand the attitudes and values to their behaviour, and to build and develop resilience
- develop understanding of what positive relationships, learn about effective interaction and feel confident to set boundaries
- explore lifestyle choices and the impact of their choices and risk situations, including development and awareness of healthy sexual relationships
- develop an understanding of what it means to feel safe, to recognise the early warning signs and who you can turn to for support when needed
- set personal goals and plan for the future.
LGBT+ projects for young people aged both 13-17 and 18-24 take place across Hertfordshire. They are safe environments where young people can meet other LGBT+ young people in their local area, get support and guidance from friendly Youth Workers, learn new things and have fun.
You can access a full list of our projects here:
Young Pride in Herts: LGBTQ+ projects
Referrals
Professionals who work with young people and parents/carers can refer a young person to one of these projects here: