The National Youth Agency - Positive Activities and Youth Justice update - Issue One

Positive Activities and Youth Justice update - Issue One - 18 August 2008

19 Aug 2008
This is the first issue of Positive Activities and Youth Justice Update from the Community Safety and Youth Justice team at The National Youth Agency (NYA). This monthly bulletin will cover news relating to youth justice and community safety plus events and training opportunities, resources, funding opportunities, practice examples and much more.

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Feel free to distribute this edition of Positive Activities and Youth Justice Update to your colleagues and networks. We also welcome contributions and if you have news event or a new resource or want to tell us more about your own work with young people around youth justice please send an e-mail >>

News

Gangs take place of parents as role models for troubled teens

A lack of parent and adult role models is driving young people to turn to gangs and other peers for support, according to a report published by The Prince’s Trust. The Culture of Youth Communities report reveals that a third of young people do not have a parent who they consider to be a role model. Fifty-eight per cent of young people claim that finding a sense of identity is a key reason for joining a gang, and almost a quarter say that young people are looking for role models in gangs. More than half already cite friends and peers as role models. Prince’s Trust press release >>

Crackdown on underage sale of knives

The Home Office is to announce the launch of a scheme today aimed at preventing the illegal sale of knives to anyone under 18. As part of 'test purchasing trials’ 16 and 17-year-olds will act as mystery shoppers to see if they are sold knives. The scheme is also expected to include a clampdown on the sale of knives from mail-order catalogues. Home Office press release >>

'A fifth of teens' carry a weapon

A survey of 1,426 14 and 15-year-olds by researchers at Portsmouth University for Hampshire police found that almost one in five pupils surveyed said they had carried a weapon in the past year, but that only five per cent took these to school. Some 60 per cent of those who carried a weapon said they did so for self-defence, while 30 per cent said they had done so during activities with the Scouts or cadets. Only 20 of the young people surveyed admitted carrying a weapon for the purposes of an attack. BBC Article >>

Crime maps for England and Wales

Interactive maps showing crime hotspots are to be released by every police force in England and Wales by the end of the year. Details of the initiative were announced by Home Secretary Jacqui Smith as part of the Policing Green Paper, which has a strong focus on giving the public more information about local crime and policing. Home Office press release >>

Northern England has most dangerous - and least dangerous - places to live

Analysis of crime statistics by consultants Local Futures has found a clear urban-rural divide with the highest crime areas in cities. The study found that there is a one in ten risk of being a victim of crime in the highest crime districts, but only a one in 50 risk in the lowest. Many are in the former industrial heartlands of northern England. Nottingham, Manchester and Middlesbrough are all in the top five, however, even these badly hit areas report a fall in crime in the past year, in line with the national trend. The huge variation in crime may help explain the mismatch between the falling crime rate and people's perception of crime. The British Crime Survey found 66 per cent of people believe crime has increased nationally; 26 per cent believe crime in their area has increased a little and three per cent believe it has increased in their area a lot. Guardian article >>

Police to be drafted into schools to cut violence

Schools minister Andrew Adonis called on police forces to permanently draft officers into schools to cut violent crime. He said officers could search pupils for weapons, drink and drugs and generally keep children safe. Around 450 secondary and primary schools in England already have a police officer permanently on site. Guardian article >>

NYA Youth Justice and Community Safety team - latest

The Youth Justice and Community Safety Team at The NYA aims to support improvements in reducing youth crime and youth re-offending. Offering a range of skills and experience from across the youth justice, community safety, education and police services, the team works with Local Authorities, the Police, Magistrates and other stakeholders to deliver services that prevent youth crime and improve community safety.
Work includes:
project advice and expertise
consultancy and training
research, monitoring and evaluation
publications and events
young people led development work to improve service delivery
Visit our webpage on The NYA website: www.nya.org.uk/justiceandsafety

Crime and Youth Justice Quarterly

The first edition of our free sister newsletter Crime and Youth Justice Quarterly is now available online. This edition examines violent crime and discusses policy and approaches from both central and local government perspectives, young people’s perceptions of violent crime and looks at recent research and analysis in the area. Crime and Youth Justice Quarterly July 2008 >>
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Awards

Philip Lawrence Awards nominations open

Nominations are now open for this year's Philip Lawrence Awards, which look to celebrate young people who are improving their lives and the lives of others. Do you know of a project or group, initiated and led by young people, that is making a significant contribution to the community? Is the project sustainable and helping to challenge negative stereotypes of young people? Winning groups will receive an award of £1,000 to invest in their activities and will be invited to attend a VIP event in December. Closing date for nominations is 12 September 2008. Further information >>

Research

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) in the United States has published ‘Best Practices to Address Community Gang Problems’. The report provides communities, responding to a present or potential youth gang problem with guidance in implementing OJJDP's Comprehensive Gang Model. It describes the research informing the model, notes findings from evaluations of several programs demonstrating the model, and outlines best practices derived from practitioners with experience in planning and implementing the model in their communities. Download document >>

Practice

NYA case studies

Commissioned by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF), The NYA provides support to the 15 local authority areas (Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Nottingham, Sheffield, Trafford; and in London – Croydon, Greenwich, Hackney, Haringey, Lambeth, Lewisham, Southwark) involved in the extended PAYP programme during 2008/9. Future editions of Positive Activities and Youth Justice Update will feature examples of impact case studies from a number of the projects which have received additional investment for positive activities for young people.
Next month we will hear about target activity work undertaken in Leeds which offers positive activities and a range of events for young people. The programme works with a range of partners, including the city’s Royal Armouries and among the activities provided is weapon awareness training for young people. More on this in next month’s edition.
We would like to feature examples of practice from innovative projects working with young people around youth justice and community safety issues. If you would like to contribute we would like to hear from you - please e-mail Roger Morford >>

Resources

Preventing violent extremism: A strategy for delivery

The DCSF has published a strategy on preventing violent extremism. The delivery strategy explains the government’s plans to strengthen institutions and help communities resist violent extremism. The ‘prevent strategy’ for local partners identifies youth services as a key delivery partner: ‘positive activities for young people and youth services can both help to build resilience and be a mechanism for supporting vulnerable young people through more targeted support and mentoring.’ Strategy document >>

Think Research

Think Research is a web-based document published by The Cabinet Office's Social Exclusion Task Force which gives commissioners and providers of services for vulnerable people guidance on using research evidence during the commissioning process. This is a comprehensive guide to all aspects of using research evidence including finding relevant research, evaluating it, how to use the evidence in planning a service, and gathering evidence to monitor a service once it is up and running. Cabinet Office press release >>

Family Intervention Projects

The DCSF and The Department for Communities and Local Government have published research conducted by the National Centre for Social Research on the Family Intervention Projects set up in 2006 to reduce anti-social behaviour in the most challenging and anti-social families. The research shows some positive progress of the first 90 families to complete the projects. DCSF progress report >>

National Indicator Tracker Tool

The Improvement and Development Agency has produced an online tracker tool which enables users to see which national indicators have been selected by local authorities as part of their new local area agreements. A summary of the youth justice/community safety related indicators (NI) selected by local authority’s shows:

Young people's participation in positive activities (NI 110): 77 LAs
First time entrants to the criminal justice system (10-17 year olds, NI 111 - 74 LAs)
Young offenders engagement in suitable education, employment or training (NI 45): 20 LAs
Young offenders access to suitable accommodation (NI 46): 0 LAs
Ethnic composition of young offenders on youth justice system disposals (NI 44): 1 LA
Effectiveness of CAMHS (NI 51): 43 LAs
IDeA Tracker tool >>

Consultation/Research Proposals

Youth court trial rules

The Ministry of Justice’s Criminal Procedure Rule Committee is seeking views on a proposal to consolidate and revise the rules about trials in magistrates' courts. The new rules would apply to all criminal trials in magistrates' courts, including youth courts. The deadline for responses is 19 September 2008.
Further information >>

Knife crime inquiry

The Home Affairs Committee’s ‘Knife Crime’ enquiry is investigating levels and causes of knife crime, profiles and attitudes of offenders, and will assess effective solutions. The Committee is also seeking written submissions from interested parties and organisations by Friday 10 October 2008. Further information >>

Funding

Youth Sector Development Fund second round

Up to £30 million is being made available through the second Youth Sector Development Fund (YSDF) from the Department for Children, Schools and Families for up to 12 successful third sector youth organisations to expand and replicate their provision, focusing on current youth priorities and in particular those that offer services to young people who are at risk from a range of negative outcomes. DCSF is particularly interested on preventing young people from committing crime or becoming involved in anti social behaviour, gun or gang crime, in line with the Youth Crime Action Plan and welcomes proposals from organisations that work with young offenders directly to prevent re-offending or facilitate restorative justice solutions. Each organisation would receive up to the value of around £2.5 million over the two year, four month period until March 2011, plus support from the YSDF Managing Body. Further information >>

Young Victims of Crime Project

The Home Office is commissioning a set of pilot projects to assess how local providers, from the statutory and third sector can best work together to proposals to reduce the numbers of young people who become victims of crime and to support those who do. As part of proposals in the Youth Crime Action Plan they want to build on existing local projects and are inviting bids from consortia of local statutory and voluntary sector organisations. Further information can be obtained by emailing Tracy Liennard >> at The Office of Criminal Justice Reform.
The deadline for completed applications is 12 September 2008.

Events and Training

National Association for Youth Justice

A Balancing Act? : meeting the needs of children in trouble and the needs of society
9 - 11 September 2008, Newport, Shropshire

This residential conference will examine how agencies are currently working together to support young people and how an approach driven by and outcome-led focus will encourage a more strategic approach to the provision of services for young people in trouble with the law. Delegates will hear from policy makers and experts, will have the opportunity to debate the issues and to see models and examples of good practice and to take away the principals that will enable them to develop their own local solutions. Further information >>

Holding an event or training?

If you are holding an event or providing training on issues around youth justice and community safety we can help you publicise this in Positive Activities and Youth Justice Update. Please email us >>
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