St Giles was proud to be invited to present alongside national partner Cranstoun at the Lines of Harm: Drugs, Violence and Exploitation Symposium, hosted by the National County Lines Coordination Centre (NCLCC) and Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge.
The national symposium brought together law enforcement, academics, policymakers, and frontline non-government organisations to explore collaborative approaches to tackling county lines, exploitation, violence, and drug-related harm. St Giles and Cranstoun jointly delivered a presentation highlighting the power of lived experience-led, prevention-focused, and partnership-based responses within the criminal justice system.
The presentation focused on the West Midlands Arrest Referral Service, commissioned by the local Police and Crime Commissioner, Simon Foster, where St Giles works in partnership with Cranstoun to provide peer-led, trauma-informed support to people in police custody—many of whom face multiple disadvantages including substance use, exploitation risk, homelessness, and repeat criminal justice contact. Central to the model is the role of trained lived experience volunteers and gender-specific support for women, ensuring engagement with individuals who need added support to connect with statutory services.
West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner Simon Foster said:
I am pleased to see my Arrest Referral Service being showcased on a national stage. By combining peer-led support with expert intervention, we are successfully engaging with some of the most vulnerable people in our communities. “This partnership approach is vital to breaking the cycle of crime, tackling the root causes of exploitation, and ensuring that individuals have a route out of the criminal justice system and into long-term support, to enable them to make a positive contribution to society.
Jade Hibbert, England Business Development Manager at St Giles, said:
Being invited to speak at the Lines of Harm Symposium reflects growing recognition that lived experience is not an ‘add-on’—it is essential to prevention, protection, and meaningful system change. Our partnership with Cranstoun shows what’s possible when peer insight and clinical expertise come together to reach people earlier, reduce harm, and break cycles of exploitation and criminalisation.
The partnership demonstrates how peer navigation, early intervention, and holistic support can improve engagement, reduce risk, and create safer outcomes for individuals and communities.
Darren Nicholas, Assistant Director of Services (Criminal Justice and Housing/Homelessness), Cranstoun, said:
Meaningful collaboration is so important in successfully delivering the very best services possible. We are delighted to work with St Giles, with them bringing a real lived experience offer to the high performing West Midlands Arrest Referral Service. It was a pleasure to present our model to a wide-ranging audience all focused on reducing harm related to drug use, violence, and exploitation.”
St Giles is grateful to the NCLCC and Anglia Ruskin University for creating space for lived experience voices at a national level and for championing partnership approaches that bridge policy and frontline practice.