LAUNCHED in May 2021, the Greater Manchester Navigator Project works with young people aged 10-25, to help them to cope and recover from their experience of violence and assist with access to local support networks to prevent the potential of further violence.
Initially rolled out in four hospitals across Greater Manchester (Royal Bolton Hospital, Salford Royal Hospital, Manchester Royal Infirmary and Manchester Royal Children’s Hospital), in the five months since launch, the team of Navigators received over 125 referrals (May – September).
Due to the success of the project, scope has been expanded to include referrals from North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) and community referrals.
In some instances, NWAS may interact with a young person who doesn’t require or doesn’t want hospital treatment but may need support. The expansion of the referral process means that where necessary, this young person can still be referred to the team of Navigators.
Similarly, young people can also be referred to the service by their local community, this could be through a community group or service, a youth worker, teacher, or friend. Young people can also refer themselves for support.
Commissioned by Greater Manchester’s Violence Reduction Unit, the Navigator project is completely independent and confidential. Young people are entitled to receive support regardless of whether they report an incident to the Police or not, no personal information is shared with the Police unless a young person agrees to that.
Deputy Mayor of Greater Manchester Bev Hughes said: “The Greater Manchester Navigator project has already provided support to over 125 young people in Greater Manchester. Our team of Navigators have a huge amount of expertise in supporting and mentoring young people who have been victims of violence and making a difference to the outcomes for these individuals.
“The Navigator project is another example of how we are committed to reducing violence across the city-region.
“The expansion of referrals to NWAS, communities and individuals, will help change the lives of even more young people through this early support.”
