Posted on: Thursday 3 April 2025
A new initiative aimed at providing support to vulnerable individuals in the community has been launched in Torfaen.
The 'Safe Space' scheme, fronted by Torfaen Peoples First (TPF), offers a lifeline to vulnerable adults, their carers, and anyone who might find themselves in challenging situations while out and about.
If a vulnerable person seeks help, a staff member at the Safe Space will assist by making a phone call to someone the individual trusts, and they will offer reassurance to ensure the person's safety until the situation is resolved.
As a self-advocacy organisation, it aims to empower people with learning disabilities to challenge prejudices and discrimination that they can face and to drive positive social change for more inclusive communities.
The initiative follows on from the success of the former Safe Places scheme that operated in Cwmbran Centre before the COVID-19 pandemic and ended due to the closure of retail businesses that had received the training.
Thanks to support from the council’s Community Resilience Team, TPF re-launched the scheme in 2024, with two members from the original group, and has since reached over 60 members in the past 12 months.
This month, TPF delivered their second Feeling Safe training session to staff at Cwmbran Library, marking all three libraries in Torfaen as designated safe spaces.
This training was co-designed and co-delivered by people with learning disabilities and helped staff to see a range of situations from a person with learning disabilities perspective.
Jenny Mushiringani Monjero, Coordinator at TPF, said, “The relaunch of the scheme was a priority for our members who expressed how they often feel like targets when out and about in the community. Many of them have experienced some form of discrimination or unkind behaviour and this had impacted their confidence to live independent lives and to integrate into community activities.
“Knowing that there are designated Safe Spaces where they can seek refuge has really helped our members, and we are so thankful to the Torfaen Libraries staff and our Community Capacity Builder, Kate, for being willing to pilot the scheme with us. We hope to continue to increase the number of Safe Spaces across Torfaen and eventually re-join the national Safe Places initiative.”
For more information about the scheme contact Jenny by emailing jenny@rctpeoplefirst.org.uk