by [email protected] | Jun 14, 2026 | Policy, Research, Strategy, young people support, Youth Activities, Youth Work
At Together As One (TAO), we strive to ensure our daily work on the ground is deeply informed by best practices and evolving research in youth support. We are very pleased to share a newly published academic paper co-authored by our own Romaan Khalil, alongside Dr. Sarah Bekaert from Oxford Brookes University.
This research offers a vital look at the youth “ecosystem” across the Thames Valley area, specifically within regions served by Hospital Navigators projects.
Making the Prevention Landscape Visible
Typically, youth services and provisions are evaluated on a narrow, case-by-case basis. What makes this paper so novel is its wide-lens approach. As the authors note:
“By rendering the prevention landscape legible, the study identifies where provision clusters, where it thins out, and which intervention models function as the core “spine” of community support available to receive step-down referrals.”
Through our first-hand involvement in contextual safeguarding and the Slough Multi-Agency Child Exploitation (MACE) meetings, we frequently witness a critical lack of specialist, targeted provisions. This paper directly addresses that gap, calling for a more robust “spine” of varied interventions to support vulnerable young people facing complex risks.
The Reality at Wexham Park Hospital
This academic finding mirrors exactly what our team experiences while supporting young people at Wexham Park Hospital.
The footprint of Wexham Park is vast, stretching across multiple local authorities and distinct neighborhoods. Because the hospital draws from such a wide catchment area, our Hospital Navigators see massive disparities in the level of community support available to a young person once they leave the hospital. In some areas, support services cluster beautifully; in others, the landscape completely thins out. This postcode lottery can make finding a safe, local space for a young person incredibly challenging.
The Power of “Onward Linkage”
A key focus of the research is how mentoring must adapt to these landscape challenges to ensure long-term success. The paper highlights Clutterbuck’s developmental mentoring model (2014), which explicitly positions “planned withdrawal” and “onward linkage” as critical phases of effective mentoring.
The goal of a great mentoring relationship isn’t to create dependency. Instead, these phases are designed to:
- Consolidate the progress a young person has made.
- Reduce dependency on a single mentor or project.
- Embed young people within sustainable, long-term networks of both universal and specialist provision.
How TAO Puts Theory into Practice
What we value most about this research is how it reflects the strengths of our own model at Together As One.
At TAO, we strive to ensure that the transition from crisis intervention to long-term community belonging is completely seamless. We work hard to be that reliable, diverse “spine” for young people in our area.
When young people are referred to us – whether through the Hospital Navigators project at Wexham Park or our Boost programme, with CAMHS – their journey doesn’t end when the crisis passes or formal mentoring stops. Instead, we provide an immediate, trusted pathway into our wider community provisions, such as Volunteer Night, Langley Youth Cafe and Girls Group.
We are grateful to Romaan and Dr. Bekaert for their dedication to this piece of work, which provides our sector with invaluable data to advocate for smarter, more connected, and more equitable youth services.
You can read the full paper and explore the findings here: Read the Paper on ScienceDirect
by [email protected] | Mar 18, 2026 | carer awareness, Meet the Team, Young Carers
We’re excited to introduce Saher, who has joined Together As One as our new Young Carers Lead!
From Birmingham to South London and now Slough, Saher’s journey has been driven by a commitment to grassroots change and uplifting young voices. With a background in sociology and hands-on experience supporting young people, Saher recognised the lack of awareness around young carers and knew this was where she needed to focus her energy. Now at TAO, she’s working to shine a light on these often overlooked young people and ensure they get the support they deserve.
We sat down with Saher to learn about her path into youth work, what drew her to TAO and her vision for empowering young carers across Slough.
How did you get into the field of working with young carers?
I decided I wanted to work for a grassroots charity that supported young people while I was studying at university and also working as a SEND TA – I just didn’t know exactly what it would look like for me.
When I realised how little awareness there was of young carers, I knew this is where I wanted to focus my attention. While statistically we know the average age of a young carer is around 11 to 15-years-old, we know they can be as young as 5-years-old. Since many aren’t formally identified, the actual figures could be a lot higher in a much younger age bracket. There simply isn’t enough awareness and I want to change that.
What made you decide to join TAO?
What drew me to TAO is that it is genuinely youth-led and rooted in the community. TAO doesn’t dictate change from the top down, it works alongside young people and families in Slough. We share the same vision of wanting to provide genuine care and support for young people no matter their circumstances.
What’s important to me is being part of a community that values young people’s voices, empowers them to lead, and is committed to creating real, lasting change by working with the community, not for it.
What have been your highlights of working with TAO so far?
Of course it’s got to be the team! Everyone is extremely knowledgeable and welcoming. I know I can talk to them about anything both professionally and personally.
It’s also been cool to see just how much TAO is ingrained into Slough’s community. Everyone is so connected and it’s clear the wider community has a lot of respect for not just the work that TAO does, but also the people behind it.
What is the main piece of advice you like to give to young carers?
Seek out support even if you’re under the impression that you wouldn’t qualify for it, chances are you do or there’s something else better suited to your circumstances and needs. Unfortunately, a lot of information about young carers isn’t made readily available (don’t worry, we’re working on it!), so it’s important to advocate for yourself and see what’s out there for you. If you don’t ask, then you’ll never know. There is no need to suffer in silence.
Your role is all about empowering young people, what makes you feel empowered?
I try to be my own biggest cheerleader. I feel empowered when I push myself to do things I don’t really want to do in the moment, like exercising, as I know I’ll feel so much better afterwards. By prioritising things like gym classes and practicing the piano, I know I’m looking after my future self.
I also like to structure my days around socialising with nurturing people. That means, surrounding myself with a good support system of family, friends and colleagues.
What do you think makes a good and connected community?
Communication, without a doubt. In the face of economic and political uncertainty, knowing your neighbours is one of the best ways to provide and receive support.
The pandemic made reaching out to new people anxiety inducing. Most of us don’t know how to be social without constantly looking at our phones. Society has become a lot more socially awkward. But I think it’s important to push through and understand that your tech will always be there, but your friends and community may not be. Make the most of the physical time you have with them.
That said, you can’t have a connected community without connecting to yourself first. When you prioritise your own mental health and well-being you transform yourself into a better support for others. In other words, get off your phones!
What activities and/or hobbies bring you joy?
Outside of work, I enjoy playing the piano which I’ve been learning since 2023. As a big music person, I find myself drawn to all sorts of genres and I always look forward to adding something new to my repertoire. Otherwise, I enjoy staying active by focusing on my health and fitness. I was into yoga for a while and have since discovered the joy of a high energy spin class!
I’m also passionate about activism and learning more about how communities can create long term positive change. People often underestimate the power of talking and listening. But it’s as simple as listening to your neighbours and rallying together for a common cause.
What piece of advice would you give to your younger self?
Advocate for yourself more and trust your gut! Thinking back, there are times when I wished I’d spoken out about things I knew were wrong, but didn’t fully understand or have the language to accurately verbalise what I intuitively felt. Alongside that, I’d say to have more confidence. You don’t always need to be right and there is never a right time, so don’t let that hold you back. Make time for yourself and just do it.
In her new role, Saher supports young people in various ways including through Slough Young Carers. Get in touch with Saher at 07547559050 or email her at [email protected].
