Tracy's Award Success
SAFE@LAST is thrilled to announce that Tracy Haycox, Strategic Runaway Services Director for SAFE@LAST won the Employee Community Achievement Award at a glittering awards ceremony on Friday 14th November.
The awards, organised by Voluntary Action Rotherham, aim to celebrate people and projects that have made a considerable difference to the communities of Rotherham.
Running away is not the problem, but a symptom of many and varied problems that result in children and young people seeing no alternative but to risk running away from what they fear or worry about. This response inevitably often puts them in even graver danger, and SAFE@LAST works constantly to reduce this risk
Tracy Haycox works at SAFE@LAST as Strategic Runaways Services Director and has been in post since January 2005. She manages a team of 2 Assistant Managers, 5 Project Workers, and 12 Refuge Care Workers and the SAFEplace refuge. Tracy oversees all the services delivered by SAFE@LAST all of which aim to create positive outcomes for children and young people in South Yorkshire who are at risk through running away.
SAFE@LAST’s MISPER scheme, developed and managed by Tracy has been massively successful and has reduced repeat running in the region from the national average of 59% to 5% of young people with whom we work.
One of the most significant differences and changes for young people that Tracy has been instrumental in is the establishment of the SAFEplace refuge. The SAFEplace refuge is a secure facility in a confidential location in South Yorkshire. It provides two residential places for children in the region who are at risk from where they are running from, or where they are running too. The refuge is the only one of its kind in England outside of London and the second of two facilities to hold an exemption certificate under Section 51 of the Children’s Act. It has been Tracy’s vision, dedication and commitment that has made this change possible for young people in Rotherham. Without her it is highly likely that young people would still have nowhere safe to stay in an emergency and no access to suitable support.
The impact of the SAFEplace refuge can be felt across England with several projects expressing an interest in the facility and its management to try and secure similar projects to benefit their geographical regions. Agencies trust Tracy’s knowledge and experience and many, quite rightly, consider her as an expert in her field.
Chief Executive and Founder Trustee of SAFE@LAST Hilary Massarella said “Tracy is a very unique and extraordinary employee. She is selfless in all her work and dedication to young people. Something evidenced daily in her willingness to assume on Call responsibility for the young persons helpline a role in which she offers support and guidance to the volunteers answering the helpline, makes tough decisions and ultimately has to leave the warmth, comfort and safety of her own home to ensure the safety of a young person she may never have met before. Tracy's hard work and enthusiasm has brought about real change for young runaways. Not only in the way services are delivered but in very real and visible improved outcomes for young people in Rotherham and the rest of South Yorkshire.”
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