A Wilderness Way welcomes county lines training

A Wilderness Way (AWW) is one of the country’s leading providers of residential care, health and education for children who have suffered trauma and exploitation. It began as a short-term, mobile service offering children a ‘wilderness experience’ in the remote countryside of rural Cumbria and Lanarkshire. Today, its children’s homes provide a warm, safe and therapeutic environment where children, who are vulnerable and in crisis, can grow and develop and re-frame their beliefs. The team find the beauty and tranquillity of nature give the children room to breathe, and the outdoor activities offer adventure and fun and help build self-esteem and confidence.

Sarah Glencross, the Learning and Development Coordinator at AWW, contacted The Clewer Initiative to see if it could provide county lines training for some of her colleagues. While the AWW staff members are hugely experienced and knowledgeable about how to care for vulnerable children, they felt there was a need to further develop their understanding of county lines, as many of their children have been impacted by this.

The team attended two online Train the Trainer sessions and responded enthusiastically to the information. They particularly appreciated the training on how criminal gangs groom and manipulate vulnerable children and how to detect the warning signs and as well as the opportunity to discuss how victims can be supported. All the delegates left determined to put into practice what they had learnt with the children in their care and pass the training on to other colleagues in the residential care homes.

The Clewer Initiative trainer comments: “It was a privilege to provide training to A Wilderness Way. It is such an inspiring organisation doing ground-breaking work amongst truly vulnerable children and potential victims of county lines and modern slavery. It is vital that all their teams have an in-depth understanding of county lines as it, no doubt, affects many of the children they work with. The team was so passionate about what they do and I believe they are now more equipped to identify warning signs of county lines and respond appropriately.”