Pause, for thought

Pause, for thought – support for young women aged 12-19 years

Pause, for thought has come a long way over the last few years from originally being an 8-week programme for young women aged 16-19 years, developed alongside young women and partner agencies; to be the Pause, for thought programme that it is today.

Pause, for thought has been running successful now for 5 years, originally starting in January 2016. We support a number of young women from a variety of backgrounds and needs, such as, young women experiencing social isolation, mental illness, criminality, domestic abuse, substance misuse and those who have been through the care system, however, this list is not exhaustive.

Due to the number of women that fell below our threshold and demand for services for from young people, we now work with young women aged 12-19 years, with the addition of working in partnership with parents/carers and other supporting agencies.

Pause, for thought is a personal development programme, building on the young women’s self-esteem and confidence. Support can be offered on a 1:1 basis at a time that suits the young women or via group work; the Pause for thought group runs each Thursday afternoon from 3:30-6:30pm.

Below is a table of the sessions we run on a roll-in-roll-out basis, it is not compulsory that our young women attend every session, they can drop in and out of the project to suit their needs, we understand that young people often have a lot going on in their lives and wish to support them to the best of our ability.

These sessions are developed and continually adapted alongside the young women who have attended to date.
A condensed version of this programme is also delivered in a number of secondary schools in the area throughout the week and in the Centre for identified school groups.

Referral process

  • Complete a Pause, for thought referral form including full details of any safeguarding concerns or potential risk factors. We will then get in touch with the young person and arrange to meet with them.
  • We do accept walk-in referrals during our drop-in session every Thursday from 3.30pm – 4.30pm, however, if you are making a professional referral we still require a referral form.
  • We are able to work with young people under 16 if we have consent from parents or caregivers. We will request a consent form to be completed after their first visit to the Centre. We cannot work with them without a consent form.
  • We accept referrals for women aged 20 – 21 if they have additional needs or they feel better suited to our young person’s project rather than our adult’s Personal Development course, Beautiful Women.

 

What are the aims and objectives of Pause for Thought?

  • To build confidence and self-worth in a safe environment through activities, discussions and feedback from others.
  • To begin the process of self-acceptance within a non-judgemental space, allowing young women to explore and develop their individual identity.
  • To connect with other young women who have similar experiences as a process to recovery, sharing their stories as part of the group process.
  • To challenge inherent prejudice, assumptions and discrimination and allow young women to think differently about themselves and each other.
  • To understand what constitutes sexual consent and the difference between healthy and unhealthy relationships.
  • To understand the influence society has on our relationship with our bodies and begin to safely explore what impact this has on our self-esteem and confidence.
  • To recognise how our eating habits and our drug and alcohol use has on our lives, including on our mental wellbeing.

Additional Information
Peer Mentoring: we have a pathway to volunteering for the young women who complete the course and wish to support others. They are interviewed, trained and then return to the group a Peer Mentor.

Contact Details
Women’s Community Matters, Nan Tait Centre, Abbey Road, Barrow-in-Furness, LA14 1LG
Phone: 01229 311102
E-mail: youngpeople@womenscommunitymatters.org

Referral Form: Pause For Thought Referral Form

We would like to thank our funders for the support of this project, The National Lottery Community Fund and the Sir John Fisher Foundation