Creating a Safe Space: Tips for inclusivity in your group
Whether you’re running a lunchtime club, youth group, mentoring circle, or classroom discussion, one thing matters more than anything else: young people need to feel safe.
Not just physically safe—but emotionally safe. Safe to speak. Safe to be heard. Safe to be themselves.
Creating a genuinely inclusive space isn’t about ticking boxes or putting up a rainbow flag. It’s about building trust, respecting identity, and fostering belonging. Here’s how to make it happen.
🔐 What Is a “Safe Space”?
A safe space is an environment where young people feel:
Respected
Free from judgement
Able to express their identity
Protected from discrimination or harm
It’s not about avoiding challenge—but about ensuring conversations and activities happen with care, compassion, and clarity.
🌈 Why Safe Spaces Matter
Young people may not feel safe at home or school. Your group could be the only space where they can be themselves.
Safety builds confidence. When young people feel secure, they take more creative, intellectual, and emotional risks.
Inclusion promotes engagement. Students are more likely to participate, lead, and contribute in spaces that reflect and respect who they are.
✅ Tips for Creating an Inclusive and Safe Group
1. Co-Create Ground Rules
Involve the group in setting expectations for respect, confidentiality, and language. Display them clearly. This gives young people ownership and sets the tone.
Tip: Include rules like “Listen to understand,” “Don’t speak over others,” and “Use respectful language.”
2. Use Inclusive Language
Model and encourage language that reflects the diversity of your group. Avoid assumptions about gender, family, ability, or background.
Instead of “Mum and Dad,” try “parent or carer.”
Instead of “boys and girls,” use “everyone” or “students.”
3. Make Identity Visible
Display materials that represent a range of identities—race, religion, gender, neurodiversity, LGBTQ+ lives. Include student voices in displays and group decisions.
Tip: Ensure your posters, books, and resources reflect the people in your room.
4. Respect Pronouns and Names
Ask and use each person’s correct name and pronouns. Consider name/pronoun cards at the beginning of a new group. Model respect consistently.
5. Be Trauma-Informed
Understand that some young people carry experiences of harm or discrimination. Approach behaviour with curiosity rather than punishment. Avoid putting students on the spot.
6. Offer Different Ways to Participate
Some young people love to talk. Others don’t. Allow for quiet reflection, drawing, writing, or anonymous contributions. Value every voice, even the quieter ones.
7. Respond to Exclusion Quickly
If someone uses offensive language or dismisses another’s identity or experience, address it calmly and clearly. Show that your group protects its members.
Tip: Say “That language isn’t respectful here. Let’s talk about why.”
💬 Questions to Reflect On as a Facilitator
Who speaks most in this group? Who doesn’t?
Have I made space for different experiences?
Would a trans student, disabled student, or refugee feel represented here?
Have I invited feedback—and been open to hearing it?
🌟 It’s Not About Being Perfect—It’s About Being Intentional
Creating a safe space isn’t a one-time task. It’s an ongoing commitment to listening, learning, and leading with empathy. Mistakes might happen—but what matters most is how we respond, adapt, and keep the space open for growth.
When young people feel safe, they thrive.
When they feel seen, they lead.
And when they feel included, they change the world.
