Trusted Adults Matter: Youth-led change with PAC Wales and the Trusted Adult Walk 

At Peer Action Collective (PAC) Wales, we value the role trusted adults play in young people’s lives. One consistent adult who listens, shows empathy, and follows through shapes how a young person seeks help and makes decisions. For many young people, trust takes time. It grows through everyday actions. When adults get this right, young people feel safe enough to speak up before problems escalate. 

As members of the YEF Youth Advisory Board and PAC Wales, we are committed to youth-led change. Our work centres on young people’s experiences in decision-making. We use research and social action to influence policy, community practice, and support systems across England and Wales. With our Trusted Adult Walk, we wanted adults to understand the weight their actions carry and the difference they make when they show up consistently.  

Why trusted adults matter 

We interviewed 166 young people about their experiences with trusted adults. They described how stability, honesty, and follow-through are key factors in developing trust. One young person spoke about a youth worker who checked in weekly, and another described a teacher who explained options without pressure. These actions-built safety and confidence. Other traits that young people facing violence or exclusion spoke about include the need for adults to stay calm under pressure and treat them fairly. In developing these relationships with young people, adults can help reduce isolation and support better decision-making. 

Our findings at PAC Wales showed that many young people do not need complex interventions. They need one reliable adult. From our research on qualities young people identified a trusted adult should have: 

• 54 % felt most supported when adults listened without judgement. 
• 32% valued adults who took action to support them. 
• 28% valued clear advice. 

We wanted adults to experience these findings, not just read them. 

PAC Wales and the Trusted Adult Walk 

The Trusted Adult Walk placed adults in the position that young people described. Participants followed a positive and a negative pathway, shaped by real accounts from our research. 

On the negative path, we ran a Stop and Search activity. The facilitator singled out participants based on their first name, mirroring how unfair treatment feels when decisions lack empathy. Adults experienced the imbalance of power that young people face daily. 

On the positive path, we used a Services Map activity. The facilitators guided participants through support routes available to young people, therefore, showing how trusted adults help navigate systems and why presence matters. 

The Walk created reflection and honest discussion. Many adults said they had not realised how hard accessing support feels without guidance. Others reflected on how their actions influence trust, even when intent feels positive. 

Looking ahead

The Trusted Adult Walk was a call to action. Young people designed it at every stage- selected the stories and shaping the message. The Trusted Adult Walk achieved more than awareness, it shifted perspectives. For the future, we want trusted adult practice embedded across youth services, schools, and community settings. We want adults to reflect on how they listen, how consistent they are, and how they respond under pressure. Youth-led work like this shows what changes when young people shape the message. Young people have spoken clearly. The responsibility now sits with adults to build relationships rooted in trust, fairness, and follow-through. 

To find out how more about how young people view trusted adults and the role they can play in preventing young people being affected by violence, see our PAC research.