Every year, around 10,000 young people spend time on the rail network.
Many are trying to escape abuse, neglect, poverty and family conflict. Some are struggling with their mental health and are feeling isolated. Others are victims of criminal exploitation and are being coerced into transporting drugs for County Lines gangs.
With the cost of living putting pressure on families, mental health referrals reaching record levels and the lingering effects of the pandemic on education, the number of children in crisis is growing.
Social care, education, police and other civil and statutory services are so stretched that many of the systems set up to help vulnerable young people are failing them. They’re left desperate and without support.
In the last year…
587
children and young people have been educated on how to stay safe on the rail network.
11614
BTP officers and rail staff have been trained to be our eyes and ears on the rail network.
200
Safeguarding Champions have been trained across the UK and we delivered our first conference.
Supporting children, young people and families
Identifying, engaging and supporting children and young people
Working alongside the British Transport Police (BTP) and the rail industry through our Safeguarding on Transport Programme, we support children and young people found in and around the rail network. We provide specialist training in how to recognise vulnerability and how to respond effectively.
Empowering children and young people to make positive changes
Once a young person has been identified as being vulnerable and is referred to us, we assess their situation, establish their needs and put a bespoke plan in place. We work to strengthen the support system around them, as well as helping them access the right professional help. Our support is never time-bound and they engage with us for as long as they need.
“Railway Children has helped me and my family deal with the things that led me to run away. I know I’ve got someone to talk to now if things get too much.”
Darcy, 14
Strengthening families and relationships
We provide meaningful interventions with children, young people, their families and other carers to help them tackle issues, reduce conflict and re-establish relationships. Our support includes health, safety and wellbeing provision. And we act as advocates for the whole family to access help for more specific needs and stay consistent with our aftercare to keep the young person safe.
Empowering COMMUNITIES
Our work is pivotal in enabling everyone to play their part in keeping vulnerable children and young people safe.
Supporting children and young people outside the home, on public transport, in retail settings and on the streets, means everyone playing their part. Using contextual safeguarding approaches, we work with our Youth Ambassadors, statutory organisations, local authorities and the transport community to build networks committed to safeguarding children and young people.
Developing and delivering training to the BTP, train operating companies and others working in and around transport hubs helps them understand the experiences of children spending time around the rail network, and how to reduce danger. We give them the tools and confidence to quickly spot vulnerable children and young people to make fast referrals. We also jointly patrol the rail network with the BTP to support training and capacity.
Our Safeguarding Action Groups across railway stations bring together those responsible for the physical spaces, including police, BTP, retail managers, security firms and others. Together we look at how and when the spaces are used and make changes to make them hostile to predators and safer places for vulnerable children and young people.
Having influenced the development and adoption of the Safeguarding on Rail Scheme across the rail industry, we deliver training and support to train operating companies working towards accreditation through the BTP and Department of Transport.
Our awareness activity in stations educates and influences those who use the rail network to help us protect vulnerable children.
Helping the public understand the signs of someone who might be in danger and how to alert the BTP means more children and young people saved from risky situations.
We also take our work into schools to make children aware of the dangers of the rail network and deter them from spending time in and around them unnecessarily.
Strengthening child safeguarding across the rail network
Advocating for a compulsory safeguarding standard industry-wide
We’re committed to helping train operating companies achieve their Safeguarding on Rail Scheme accreditation through training and safeguarding consultation. That’s why we’re supporting policy development, engagement and advocating for its adoption by the Department for Transport.
Improving how we work together to safeguard young people
Our Safeguarding Action Groups help to identify thematic issues experienced by vulnerable children and young people and the gaps in services that put them at risk. Using that insight, we bring together relevant stakeholders to develop and influence improved practices to better support them.
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Developing effective policies and practices
Our Youth Ambassadors actively contribute to how we influence and develop the work we do at Railway Children and with train operating companies. Through co-creation of our interventions, these young people help us to become more accountable and give us a wider perspective that enables us to influence the transport industry.
