WAY Beacons
"You're there in a time of need. When someone listens, it shows someone cares." – Young Person, aged 15
You might be thinking... “Who or what is the WAY Beacons?”
WAY Beacons is an award-winning project (NHS England, South West, IPC Awards) that aims to break the cycles of hospital readmissions, crime, violence, and risk-taking behaviour by engaging with young people 10-25 at a reachable moment within hospital and connecting them to ongoing support within their community.
The WAY Beacons model has been co-created by local young people, experienced NHS staff and youth practitioners.
Sounds good, but why is this project needed?
High Levels of Hospital Admissions
- Hospital admissions caused by substance misuse have been higher in Swindon in comparison to national rates for over a decade.
- There are more than double the hospital admissions for substance misuse for 15-24-year-olds than there was 10 years ago.
- Total A&E attendances in Swindon related to serious violence and/or assault exceeds pre-COVID levels during 2022/23 with 79,568 attendances.
Data from the Swindon Combatting Drugs Partnership Needs Assessment and the Serious Violence Strategic Needs Assessment January 2024
Cycles of Repeat Hospital Attendance
Ok, so how does WAY Beacons work?
Support in the Hospital
The WAY Beacons, experienced professionals, meet with young people within The Great Western Hospital’s Emergency Department, Urgent Treatment Centre, and Children’s Ward. They engage with young people who have been admitted into hospital for reasons such as substance misuse, self-harm, assault injuries, deliberate self-poisoning, and suicidal ideation. The WAY Beacons are able to respond to young people in a moment of need, offering a listening ear and guidance in a friendly and non-judgemental way.
Support in the Community
Once discharged, the WAY Beacons support the young people within their community to understand the wider needs, focusing on their interests and aspirations, as well as the challenges they face. Taking time to get to know each individual, the WAY Beacons co-produce an action plan with each young person, identifying support services and additional opportunities they could access within their community.
Network of Long-Term Support
WAY Beacons help young people to access the network of support identified. This may include offering young people support from a positive role model best suited to them through the WAY Mentors project. This relational, tailored, and holistic approach ensures that positive change is sustained long-term increasing the likelihood of breaking the cycles of readmissions, increasing emotional well-being and preventing ongoing involvement in violence and risk-taking behaviour
What's the impact?
55% of young people we have supported are repeat attenders, of those:
79% have not reattended since receiving support from the WAY Beacons.
5% of young people have previously offended, of those:
100% have not reoffended since receiving support from the WAY Beacons.
40% have accessed further support in the community including mentoring.
100% of the young people asked said they found speak with a Hospital Beacon helpful.
Know someone who needs support?
If you know someone who has recently attended the Great Western Hospital and would benefit from the support WAY Beacons provides in the community, then please contact us or find out more on our WAY Beacons support page.