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VRU | Trusted Adults

Trusted Adults

Welcome to our Trusted Adults campaign page.

Our Trusted Adults campaign aims to raise awareness that every adult has a role to play in protecting children and young people from serious violence and exploitation.

We also want children and young people to know that there are trusted adults out there for them. They will listen without judgement and help find the correct support for you.

Scroll to the bottom of this page to find useful resources and documents.

If you are part of a wider organisation, you are welcome to use this content to support your own work. To get in touch, please contact us at vru@hampshire.police.uk.

 

Trusted adult films

Our films bring together the voices of young people and trusted adults to explore what these meaningful relationships look like in real life, as well as their personal advice.

You can watch them by clicking the links below.

Film 1 can be found HERE

Film 2 can be found HERE

These films can also be found on our home page.

What is a trusted adult?

A trusted adult is someone a child or young person chooses to confide in. They listen without judgement, offer reassurance, and help young people access the appropriate support.

A trusted adult is not a job title or a qualification. It can be anyone from a youth worker to a parent or a sports coach. Simply put, it could be you.

Why do trusted adults matter?

As a VRP, we work to influence culture change in how communities and organisations respond to serious violence. Highlighting the role of trusted adults helps shift the responsibility and awareness for prevention away from just professionals alone and towards all adults in our communities.

Culture change also means normalising conversations about safety and reducing the stigma young people may feel when asking for support. This can help strengthen these relationships and act as a long term form of prevention.

A recent survey of over 20,000 school children across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight found that trusted adults were one of the most used sources of information (54%), while government websites and professional channels were used far less. This is also represented nationally, in the year ending February 2026 16.8% of children aged 10-15 spoke to an adult they trust about their worries regarding gangs and knife carrying. This implies that children and young people are more likely to turn to someone they know than to formal services when they need advice, and that person could be you.

By promoting trusted adults, we are helping to build a counter‑narrative to serious violence, one rooted in safety and positive connection. This counter‑narrative becomes powerful only when all adults recognise the influence they have. Every conversation, every moment of listening, and every act of support can help steer a young person away from harm.

‘I think it’s quite sad, really, that not every young person has someone that they can reach out to in times of need. And for me that’s a really hard thing to process, that there are children and young people out there right now who don’t have someone to talk to about their problems, about their struggles, their emotions, thoughts, etc.’

- Dylan, HIOW Youth Commission

Below are some pieces of advice that may help you when having honest conversations with a young person:

Reflect on your own experiences

This helps put yourself in the child’s shoes and understand the situation from their perspective. By doing this you can emphasise the positive things you saw in a trusted adult.

‘Everyone’s had that adult in their lives that had a significant impact on them. And its recognising what those people did for you….and reflecting that in yourself’ - Sophie, Parent

Be prepared

These conversations can happen unexpectedly. There is no perfect script for these conversations, and so when they do happen it’s important to focus on allowing the child to explore any issues they face in a safe environment. It’s important to remember that the child has come to you because they trust you, so just be yourself.

‘Because it really could happen. Particularly least when you’re least expecting it’ - Sophie, Parent

Be patient

The conversation should always be led by the child, and you should not be pressure them to share more than they are comfortable with. Always respect their space. A ‘No’ today doesn’t mean a ‘No’ tomorrow.

‘if the child isn’t opening up to you, they’re not opening up to you for a reason. You’ve got to give them time.’ - Sophie, HIOW Youth Commission

Use resources

There are lots of resources out there available to you. By doing a small amount of research, you can support a young person in a pivotal moment. This toolkit contains resources that may be useful to you

‘We spend half our lives scrolling through social media, when we could be looking up little things like this’ - Chris, Youth Football Coach

Reassure and validate

Acknowledging a child and validating their feelings will reinforce the trust they have in you. As a result, they are more likely to feel comfortable sharing things with you.

‘Let the child know that they’ve done nothing wrong. Explain that it’s very good that they’ve come to you…it’s good that they have trust in you, and you want to do the best for them’ - Chris, Youth Football Coach

Stay present

It’s important that you don’t overreact during a difficult conversation, focus on being emotionally available and actively listen to what the young person says.

‘Keep calm, don’t overreact’ - Chris, Youth Football Coach

Be available

Being a trusted adult is a privileged position. So, it’s important you make time when it matters and show willingness to support a child when they need it.

‘it’s a privilege for someone to come to you with something’. - Sophie, Parent

As a result of conversations with a young person you may need to report information.

You can anonymously report information to the Police through Fearless by either calling 0800 555 111 or their website which can be found HERE.

In an emergency call 999, or in a non-emergency situation you can contact the Police on 101. 

Useful Resources

As a result of conversations with a young person you may need to identify support services or local provision to help support them further.

 

You can find support services across Hampshire, Portsmouth, Southampton and the Isle of Wight at the Safe4Me website HERE

 

For Hampshire (not including Portsmouth and Southampton), you can find further support services and youth provision HERE.

 

For the Isle of Wight, you can find further support services HERE and youth provision HERE.

 

For Portsmouth, you can find further support services HERE and youth provision HERE.

 

For Southampton, you can find further support services and youth provision HERE.

 

Each area also has a Safeguarding Children's Partnership. These partnerships are made up of statutory and relevant authorities who work together to ensure the safety and wellbeing of children in their area is upheld. On their websites you can find referral links and useful resources. Find your area below:

 

Hampshire Safeguarding Children's Partnership can be found HERE.

Isle of Wight Safeguarding Children's Partnership can be found HERE.

Portsmouth Safeguarding Children's Partnership can be found HERE.

Southampton Safeguarding Children's Partnership can be found HERE.

Trusted Adults information sheet

Trusted Adults Campaign Pack

Trusted Adults Partnership Pack