In our final episode of the series, we look at being a parent. If you’re a father, mother or carer of any kind, this episode is packed full of insight and advice - from how Debbie talked about sex with her children, to the role of parents and wider society in reducing youth violence. With Davis Williams from The Manhood Academy Global, we explore:

• The role of fathers, and parents/carers more generally
• The challenges facing parents/carers today and advice for overcoming them - including for younger parents
• Practical ideas and insights into how to strengthen your relationship with and support your child

Guest speakers

Davis Williams, The Manhood Academy Global

Debbie Felix, VRU Parent Champion and Knife Crime Ambassador with The Parent House.

Useful links

The Manhood Academy Global

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Being excluded can have big consequences for a child or young person. In this episode, we hear about the impact exclusions can have. We get clear on what the rights of the child are and how parents can advocate for their children. We talk to parents whose children have been affected by exclusion, and Sandra Harrison, advocate and educationist.

Useful links

Sandra leads San Carl Ltd, a consultancy which aims to support and give guidance on Special Educational Needs and Disability as well as Autism, working with both parents and education institutions.

Natasha mentions these organisations, which she found helpful:

• Coram Children's Legal Centre
• Black Childs Agenda
• The School Exclusions Project, run by Matrix Barristers Chambers

Each local authority is required to have a SENDIAS service, who provide information, advice and support for families of SEND children. Find your local council's here.

Camden Sendias

Islingtons Sendias

Just for kids law also provide direct legal support for young people in London.

Our partners:

The Mayor of London's Violence Reduction Unit, Islington and Camden Councils, Public Health

The Parent House

Crux (mediation and conflict resolution services)

Transcript available at crux/org.uk/podcasts

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we focus on how trauma and mental health affect us, our children and our communities. We share advice for looking after our mental health, how you might know if you’re experiencing trauma and where to go if you need support. Plus we look at what could make a difference for young people and reducing violence.

Guest speakers:

Kyle Addy, Men In Motion

Mitchelle Greenaway, Counsellor and Coach, Jigsaw GC

Ashleigh Jackson, Parent Champion with Camden and Islington’s Violence Reduction Unit, Knife Crime Parent House Ambassador

This episode was co-produced by Debbie Felix and Sarah Hutt, and the host was Charlotte Keith.

Useful links

Jigsaw GC

Men in motion

Mental health support in Camden

Mental health support in Islington

Our partners:

The Mayor of London's Violence Reduction Unit, Islington and Camden Councils, Public Health

The Parent House

Crux (mediation and conflict resolution services)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Conflict is a part of life for everyone - whoever you are. But we’re not always given the tools to navigate it. In this episode, we talk to conflict experts about how to navigate conflict - and even turn it into something that can be a force for good. Listen in to hear what happens when we’re in conflict (or avoiding it), and how we can learn to navigate it better, plus top tips.

Guest speakers:

Brandon Ponce-Carvajal, Leap Confronting Conflict Youth Ambassador

Clifton MacDonald, Leap Confronting Conflict Senior Trainer

Sabrina Jackman, Parent Champion with Camden and Islington’s Violence Reduction Unit, Knife Crime Parent House Ambassador

Useful links:

Leap Confronting Conflict

Dr Gabor Maté’s The Wisdom of Trauma

Transcript available here.

Our funder and partners:

The Mayor of London’s Violence Reduction Unit

Islington and Camden Councils

The Parent House

Crux

This episode was co-produced by Aldene Stone and Sarah Hutt, with editing by Sarah Hutt and Content is Queen, and the host was Denise Marshall.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What don’t the headlines show? This episode, we talk to people working directly with young people affected. We take a closer look to understand young people’s perspectives, the challenges they face and how parents, adults and services can better support young people. Listen in to hear:

• What could be underneath a decision to carry a knife
• The role of adults and services in reducing violence
• Stories and insights into the impact of violence on young people
• Plus tips for parents on managing social media

Guest speakers:

Judith Samuel, Lead Youth Manager at the LIFT, Islington

Julia Jenkinson, Clinical Psychologist, Islington Integrated Gangs Team.

Links:

Islington Integrated Gangs Team

The LIFT Islington

Transcript for this episode

Our funder and partners:

The Mayor of London’s Violence Reduction Unit

Islington and Camden Councils

The Parent House

Crux

This episode was co-produced by Sabrina Jackman and Sarah Hutt, with editing by Sarah Hutt and Content is Queen, and the host was Denise Marshall.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In our first episode, we ask the big question: how can we reduce serious youth violence? We look at what can lead to violence, and what can make a difference. We talk about how to improve relationships with the police and young people, why role models matter, educating young people, race and parenting.

Our guest speakers are:

Catherine Briody, Head of Violence against Women and Girls and Youth Safety Commissioning, Islington Council

Jessica Plummer, Founder of the Shaquan Sammy-Plummer Foundation, Violence Reduction Unit Parent Champion and Knife Crime Parent Ambassador with The Parent House.

Sheri Lawal, Director of Choices CIC

You can find us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube by searching for Uniting Against Violence, and you can email us at unitingagainstviolence@gmail.com.

Useful links

Targeted Youth Support for Islington

Sheri talks about the support Choices CIC can offer for parents when talking about difficult things with their children, and the LIFT Islington, which is a youth club.

Catherine mentions Wipers and Chance UK for mentoring and support for young people, particularly around transitions.

Jessica shares her story at a TedX talk.

Our partners:

The Mayor of London's Violence Reduction Unit, Islington and Camden Councils, Public Health

The Parent House

Crux (mediation and conflict resolution services)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Uniting against violence is a podcast about how we can reduce serious youth violence in our communities. ​​We are a group of parents who’ve come together to create a podcast for parents, carers and anyone who wants to understand more and take action.

In this six-part series, we invite a range of guest speakers and parents to look at specific issues related to youth violence – mental health and trauma, conflict, what it’s like for young people, the role of parents and school exclusions.

Each episode includes practical advice, insight, stories and information for people looking for support on these issues.

About us: we are a mix of parent champions from London’s Violence Reduction Unit (Camden and Islington), and knife crime parent ambassadors, from the Parent House, a charity based in Islington.

This podcast was co-produced by us (Ashleigh, Aldene, Charlotte, Debbie, Dee, Jessica, Natasha, Sabrina and Victoria) and Sarah from Crux, a conflict resolution and mediation service based in Islington and Camden.

*Some of the issues discussed in the podcast may be triggering, so we encourage you to look after yourself and seek out support if you need it - we all do sometimes.*

This is a huge topic and we couldn’t cover everything and every perspective in 6 episodes, so if you’re thinking we’ve missed something, we encourage you to start more conversations where you are.

Special thanks to our funder, the Mayor of London’s Violence Reduction Unit, our partners: Islington and Camden Councils, The Parent House and Crux, and all our guest speakers.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.