News
We are delighted to announce that our new Launch service is live, ready to support young people with early intervention advice, information and signposting. Youth AIMS has been remodelled and rebranded to become Launch, offering new services and more ways for young people to access the help they need. Launch provides information and guidance on a range of issues, including housing and homelessness, applying for benefits, sexual health, relationships, and getting into education or employment.
The Launch team was recently expanded with a Recovery Support Worker and an Emotional Wellbeing Support Worker to allow new expertise to be offered to young people requiring specialist support.
Launch is available for young people aged 11-25 living in one of the six counties Step by Step operates in. Appointments are free of charge and confidential, and can de delivered face to face or remotely.
Launch also acts as something of a triage for young people in need, signposting to other agencies if we are not able to help and also able to refer to other Step by Step services, such as Foyer accommodation and Supported Lodgings. That is why Launch carries the tagline “your first steps to a brighter future”.
Young people can access Launch via live chat, email, text message and phone. In this way, Launch acts as a single point of contact for young people seeking help from Step by Step.
Paul Harris, Early Invention and Prevention Lead, commented: “Launch represents an exciting expansion and relaunching of our previous Youth AIMS service. Launch not only offers new wellbeing and recovery services, but is designed to be more visible and accessible to young people, allowing them to get the advice and guidance they need before issues can escalate.”
To find out more about Launch, or if you know a young person who might benefit from it, please go to www.stepbystep.org.uk/launch.
We welcome the PM's announcement. The funding matters, the urgency matters, and a government willing to say plainly that no one should sleep in a doorway is good news.
But if we are serious about ending rough sleeping, we cannot only wait until someone is already on the streets. We have to stop them getting there in the first place.
