Star Project - Islington

The Star Project is a support and advocacy service for young women affected by criminal exploitation and violence. 

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Services currently available are:

1. Islington 10-16-year-olds (co-located with Targeted Youth Support Service)

2. Islington 16-24-year-olds (co-located with the Integrated Gangs Team)

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Referral Process

Islington 10 - 16-year-olds

• To refer into this service, please contact Islington’s Targeted Youth Support Team who is responsible for triaging and making all referrals into this service. 

• Email: tys[at]islington.gov.uk 

• Telephone: 020 7527 2600. 

Islington 16 - 24-year-olds

• To refer into this service, please contact Islington’s Integrated Gangs Team who are responsible for triaging and making all referrals into this service.

• To request a referral form, please contact: IGT[at]islington.gov.uk

• Telephone: 07703 380 225

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What Do Young Women Get?

Young women get a dedicated Abianda practitioner who will meet with them weekly (or more if needed). 

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Structured Programme of Work

The service includes a 12-15 session structured programme of work, exploring some of the following themes:

• healthy and unhealthy relationships

• sexual violence, exploitation and other VAWG issues in the context of 'gangs'

• anger, power and harm

• identity and equality

• trauma

• risk for young women affected by criminal exploitation, peer-on-peer violence 

• safety planning

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Young women benefit from our solution-focused and strengths-based model of practice. We support them to develop their critical thinking on these themes, their skills to navigate risks, move closer to their desired outcomes and create the changes they want to see in their lives.

Advocacy and Better Connection to Services

Abianda practitioners will work shoulder-to-shoulder with young women and girls to provide rights-based and wrap-around advocacy support.

We will support the young woman to access services, assessments, resources and support that she is entitled to, in order to bring about stability in her life, reduce harm and ensure the young woman can continue to progress in her life positively and healthily.

We support young women to have their voices heard amongst the professional network that may be orbiting them, to ensure they are better connected with these services and that they are able to influence the decisions that affect their lives.

We challenge oppressive practice, hold services to account, and work tirelessly to ensure that young women’s safety and developmental needs are met.

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Young women typically work with us for up to one year through the Star Project.