When a child is found hundreds of miles from home, exploited by criminal networks and alone in an unfamiliar place, the journey home is about far more than transportation. It can be the first step towards safety, trust and recovery.
Since 2024, St Giles has been a partner in the Violence and Exploitation Support Service (VESS), supporting children and young people across Greater London affected by violence and exploitation. As part of the partnership, St Giles operates a specialist rescue service for young people identified by authorities outside London as being at risk of criminal exploitation, often linked to county lines activity.
Available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, our team travels across the country to bring young people safely home. But the work begins long before they reach their destination. During the journey, experienced caseworkers use their own lived experience and professional expertise to build trust, understand the circumstances that led to the young person’s exploitation and encourage their engagement with ongoing support.
Between June 2024 and December 2025, the team carried out 32 rescues. Young people were recovered from locations across England and Scotland, including Devon and Cornwall in the south-west and communities hundreds of miles from home. Brighton, Norwich and Ipswich were among the locations where rescues took place most frequently.
Every rescue represents a young person facing significant risks and vulnerabilities. Each one requires careful planning, intensive support and close collaboration with our VESS partners (Safer London, Anna Freud and New Horizon Youth Centre) as well as local authorities, police and safeguarding agencies.
For many young people, the journey home marks the beginning of a different journey: one away from exploitation and towards safety and stability.