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Our five youth support workers see young people up to the age of 25 who are admitted to ED with injuries related to violence or aggression — from minor stab wounds to self-inflicted injuries from aggressive outbursts, like punching a wall.
As Enfield is one of the top areas in London for incidents of knife crime, the team provide a vital service in supporting young people affected and work closely with colleagues in ED, safeguarding, paediatrics and liaison teams at the hospital and local organisations.
Their work is all about breaking down barriers that prevent young people seeking healthy support and intervening at a crucial point to help them onto the right path.
When they speak to a young patient, either at the bedside or over the phone the next day, the team first identify any concerns or areas they can advise on. This could be encouraging them to report a crime to the police, helping their family speak to their school or reintegrating them, signposting to community services, or offering mentoring support.
Asha Vaghella, Oasis team lead at North Mid, said: “We provide a different level of support that is tailored to each young person. We see a range of patients from low level risks, such as victims of bullying or assaults, to medium risks, where they might be dabbling in drugs, or high risks such as victims of domestic violence.
“I’m very proud of the strong team we’ve got here. We have a range of different skillsets including a mental health specialist and a violence against women and girls specialist. We have seen the number of female victims increase over the last two years so we are working hard to make sure we can support this.”
The team sees the highest number of young people with injuries during school term times, with peak times being at the end of school day and early evenings.
Catherine Still, Oasis community hub leader, helped set up the project at North Mid in 2015. She said: “If someone has been a victim of assault, they want to feel safe again. Without our support, they may decide to start carrying a weapon or associate with a group who promises to keep them safe. We intervene and take the time to listen to them, providing them with other opportunities to restore those feelings of safety.
“One of our indicators of success is being able to build sustainable support networks in that young person’s life. Their needs must be met through community-based support, whether that be therapeutic or clinical help, improved relationships with trusted adults or peers, or education.”
The team don’t just look at those with violence-related injuries. They also target young people who may be at risk of exploitation, such as those admitted under the influence of alcohol or involved in gangs, and make sure they get the support they need.
Charlotte Clements, paediatric emergency medicine consultant and clinical director for children’s services at North Mid, works closely with the youth workers.
She said: “We know that when children are injured or feeling scared in a place like hospital, they are more likely to accept support. In paediatrics, we occasionally treat minor stab wounds but are more likely to see early indicators of children being groomed into gangs. Having someone that they can speak to about mental health, drug use or fighting is really valuable. Linking them to Oasis helps create a supportive environment for them – the team do great work.”
Speaking about the importance of reaching out to young people vulnerable to violence, Charlotte commented: “I believe we need to start thinking of knife crime as a population health problem. We need to start having conversations about education and preventative work, and the Oasis team are a key part of this.”
