A NEW SCHEME has been launched by Royal Berkshire Hospital to support young people and prevent them from future harm.
The Hospital Navigators programme will target people in the Emergency Department, offering them conversations with trusted adults to protect them from further incidents.
The scheme takes a focus on those who have been admitted due to unsafe behaviour or who regularly visits the Emergency Department.
Young people, aged 13 to 24, can meet and chat with a volunteer who will then advise what help they need such as one-to-one mentoring, support services and community groups.
Thames Valley Violence Reduction Unit and Reading-based mentoring organisation Starting Point also got on board with the scheme.
Starting Point will be in charge of the recruitment and training and Thames Valley provided £25,000 as injection funding.
“We are really excited to be welcoming the Navigators into our Emergency Department at Royal Berkshire Hospital,” said chief nursing officer Eamonn Sullivan.
He said: “We’re proud to work alongside Starting Point and the Thames Valley Violence Reduction Unit to help make a difference to some of the young people that arrive at our Emergency Department, and help prevent them from ending up in the same circumstances that brought them to hospital in the first place.”
Trained volunteers will be on hand on Fridays and Saturdays from 8pm until midnight.
Stan Gilmour, director of the Thames Valley Violence Reduction Unit, added: “An admission to hospital creates an opportunity to reach a person and encourage them to reflect upon their actions or situation.
“Through that engagement and by providing tailored support, we can positively change their behaviours and direction, reducing future risks.”