Community Safety and Youth Justice

The National Youth Agency provides bespoke consultancy and support in developing effective approaches to
reducing crime and disorder, anti social behaviour and improving community safety by involving young people
in planning and delivering strategic and operational priorities.

For the past three years we have been commissioned by West Midlands Police Authority. Warwickshire Police
Authority has asked us to undertake similar work in 2010.

We are a market leader in this field with a unique and proven record in youth crime consultation. 11 Million, in recognition of our work in this area, has asked us to undertake similar consultation with young people to inform its forthcoming three year youth justice plan.

Benefits

• Opportunity to strengthen consultation with hard to reach/hard to hear groups of young people. 
• Assists Police Authorities, required to consult annually on strategic planning processes.
• Assists with ‘public confidence’ force targets. 
• Assists the prevention of young people’s crime, thereby addressing mainstreaming requirements of Section 17, 1998 Crime and Disorder Act.
• Adaptable across the Police Service Sector, both at a strategic level and also neighbourhood level.
• Cost effective knowledge transfer via NYA support of designated staff members who can receive training and coaching support in order to integrate this activity into existing job roles.
• Excellent contacts with local organisations.
• Linkages into a wider knowledge exchange and network.

Community Safety Contacts

National Programme Manager - Peta Halls

Recent and Current Work

 

• Resettlement of Young Offenders

Late in 2010 early 2011 the NYA helped compile case studies on local initiatives providing good practice for young people resettling back into the community on release from custody. The case studies are contained within the attached report published by the LGA in October 2011.

 

• Young People’s Voice and Influence within the Youth Justice System

During 2009-2010 the Local Government Association (LGA) commissioned the National Youth Agency (NYA) to undertake research with Youth Offending Teams (YOTs) and service users to examine the extent of service user participation and identify examples of good participatory practice within YOTs.

The research found that although involving service users makes services more effective and can also have benefits for service users too, in the youth justice system, NCB research found that there is a lack of strategic direction of how young offenders views are taken into account and how this should be implemented. Expectations are limited to the ‘engagement’ of young offenders rather than enabling them to have a say in decision-making and there are a number of barriers to young people’s participation within the youth justice system.

Voice and Influence in the Youth Justice System was launched in February 2011 and is of interested in all those working to address youth offending and improve our current system to advocate partnership working and consistency throughout youth services.

The NYA provides regular training and consultancy support to youth justice organisations to help implement the Hear by Right standards framework to enable them to map and plan for greater involvement of young people in their service planning and delivery.

Find out more about Hear by Right >>

 

• Participation in Youth Justice: Measuring Impact and Effectiveness

The National Youth Agency, as part of its ongoing work with the Local Government Association, has examined the impact and effectiveness of participation in the youth justice system.

The study, which was undertaken during 2010 – 2011, built upon key findings presented in the Voice and Influence Report, and brought together the views of over 20 youth service managers captured through telephone interviews.

Participation in Youth Justice: Measuring Impact and Effectiveness was launched in June 2011.

 

• Positive Participation: Youth Justice Training
  

The National Youth Agency, as part of its ongoing work with the Local Government Association, has developed a free training resource that aims to raise awareness of participation within the youth justice system. This training is aimed at youth justice practictioners and provides participants with an understanding of the benefits, legal and policy context, some practical steps to engage with young people to increase their participation and help to develop participtation plans.

Positive Participation: Youth Justice Training was launched in December 2011

 

• Positive Activities for Young People

During 2008/9, the NYA supported the Department Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) pilot Extended Positive Activities for Young People (EPAYP) programme aimed at diverting those young people at risk of or involved in gangs and street violence. The NYA provided support to the 15 pilot sites: Birmingham, Bristol, Croydon, Greenwich, Hackney, Haringey, Lambeth, Leeds, Lewisham, Liverpool, Manchester, Nottingham, Sheffield, Southwark and Trafford) to help each area increase the impact of the additional funding.

In 2009, we produced a report outlining the findings from this work along with recommendations for future Positive Activities funding and practice.

• Creating a Sense of Belonging

In 2009, we also produced a project database of all the Extended Positive Activities for Young People projects from the 15 pilot areas. This report captures some of the excellent Positive Activities as well as some being case studies being delivered across the country.

Creating a sense of belonging - Local Authority Summary Report

• Guns, Gangs and Knife Crime

In 2008, the NYA, along with the Association of Principal Youth and Community Officers and the Speaking Out Project (NCVCCO and NCVYS) jointly organised a national round table event to discuss how to combat knife, gun and gang crime, and how this should be taken forward with policy makers. The round table event focused on developing solutions and the need to take concerted action at both national and local levels and put forward a number of recommendations detailed in the report.

Gang, gun and knife crime round table (May 2008)

• Youth Crime Consultation

The National Youth Agency has completed a consultation with young people from accross the Thames Valley Police area to gain thier views on crime, anti-social behaviour and policing:

Thames Valley Youth Consultation

Recently, Warwickshire Police Authority and West Midlands Police Authority commissioned the NYA to undertake further consultation with young people about their views and experiences of crime, gangs and violent extremism and the criminal justice system. For more information about this current work email: youthjustice@nya.org.uk

In 2008, we hosted a West Midlands Regional Youth Crime Conference on behalf of the West Midlands Police Authority and Local Criminal Justice Board. Using a variety of creative workshop methods and facilitated by young people, 150 young people participated including many from hard to reach groups. This report provides a detailed account of the event and young people’s views and experiences of anti social behaviour; gangs and street violence; personal safety; violent extremism; and their perceptions and experiences of local criminal justice agencies, including the police.

Listening to Young People - Police report (June 2009)

Listening to You – Young People’s Report (2009)

In 2007, we were commissioned by West Midlands Police Authority to undertake consultation with young people to gain their perceptions and experiences about personal safety and policing to inform their strategic plans. The report published in early 2008 summarises the key findings and recommendations from the 10 focus groups held with young people from across the West Midlands region.

West Midlands Police Authority - The Police Your Views, 2008

Useful links

The National Youth Agency is a member of the Standing Committee for Youth Justice, this coalition works to promote the welfare of children who become engaged in the youth justice system and advocates for a child-focused youth justice system that promotes the integration of such children into society and thus serves the best interests of the children themselves and the community at large.