Youth consultation and engagement

Report: 4
Date: 5 December 2002
By: Commissioner

Summary

At the meeting of the full Authority on 28 November 2002, Members were presented with a proposal to implement a fully comprehensive Youth Strategy to reduce youth crime and victimisation of young people through a structured and holistic partnership approach. This report identifies a key area of consultation thorough the creation of partnership between the voluntary sector and the MPS.

A. Recommendations

Members note the intention to strengthen the way in which youth consultation and engagement is conducted by the creation of a partnership with the London Voluntary Services Council (LVSC).

B. Supporting information

1. The purpose of this report is to provide members with an outline as to the purpose in setting up a partnership to support the overall aim of the MPS Youth Strategy. The LVSC is seen as one of the largest strategic networks in the capital and this enables the MPS to engage with groups not easily accessed by police.

2. The MPS Youth Strategy is a 5-year strategy with an annual action plan. As the strategy is implemented, and the annual action plan reviewed and updated where appropriate, the MPS will be able to develop consultation mechanisms to consult and inform the youth groups across London. Furthermore, the MPS fully intends to listen to their responses in order to influence policy and inform the following years action plan. In time, this will be extended to ensure such views are captured in the MPA/MPS Consultation process.

3. As the MPS Youth Strategy recognises, much work has been done at a local level to engage with young people but has lacked co-ordination across the MPS. The Youth Strategy address this and the intention to enter into a partnership with the LVSC adds further support and co-ordination to the need to engage with young people.

4. Recent Government led initiatives to tackle street crime have highlighted the benefits of partnership working and that meaningful engagement with other agencies can provide measurable benefit to the community in the reduction of crime.

5. The outline framework document at Appendix 1 proposes a methodology and stems from extensive discussions with the relevant agencies to ensure that expectations of the partnership are matched with delivery.

6. The MPS view the partnership as enhancing the strategic perspective of the many local initiatives already underway. One of the tangible benefits will be the sharing of good practice across the MPS in a way that will give long term benefit and continuity through the co-ordination activities of the partnership.

7. Furthermore, the partnership will provide a valuable forum to not only share ideas and the purpose of any MPS crime initiatives but also to listen to the concerns of the youth community so that these can be fed into future strategic planning.

8. The consultation route will involve youth clubs across London. This process is still in the process of being devised and a protocol signed off, but the end product will allow consultation with up to 15,000 youths.

9. The Police Cadet Scheme, consisting of 500 cadets aged 15–19 also offers the MPS the opportunity to consult with a selection of youths across London.

10. This work is seen to complement the extensive MPS involvement in the Safer Schools Partnership across London. The terms of reference for the schools partnership are:

• To reduce prevalence of crime and victimisation amongst young people, to reduce the number of incidents and crimes in schools and their wider communities.
• To provide a safe and secure school community which enhances learning.
• To ensure the young people remain in education, actively learning and achieving their full potential.
• To engage young people, challenge unacceptable behaviour and help them develop respect for themselves and their community.

11. This initiative is being paid for by the DFES, and started in October 2002 – currently there are 44 officers in schools, with 65 being selected in total. The initial stages of this initiative are to gain the confidence of Partners and children, and to work together on the first three stages. Once this has been achieved the mechanisms for consultation and review, in order to engage the young people will be explored with the Head Teacher, and the DFES.

12. A Strategic Steering Committee has been set up to review how the MPS is progressing in all areas of the Youth Strategy, the Action Plan and to ensure MPS Policies in relation to youth are being implemented. The MPA are represented on this Committee and this provides opportunity for the Authority to give feedback and comment.

C. Equality and diversity implications

The partnership specifically addresses inclusion of black and minority ethnic groups, children and young families, crime and community safety, disabled people, faith groups and the homeless.

D. Financial implications

This work has been fully factored into the budget and therefore no additional budgetary requirements arise.

E. Background papers

None.

F. Contact details

Report author: Ian Jenkins, MPS

For more information contact:

MPA general: 020 7202 0202
Media enquiries: 020 7202 0217/18

Appendix 1: Partnership between the voluntary sector and the Metropolitan Police

A framework document for the Partnership

‘London Voluntary Services Council (LVSC), 3rd Sector Alliance and the Metropolitan Police working together to reduce crime, disorder, and the fear of crime.’

Introduction

The aim of this proposal is to set up a framework, similar to the partnership with the business community, between the voluntary sector and the Metropolitan Police. The business community partnership gets its strategic direction from the executive body, with an operational body working together to deliver outcomes in line with the strategy. Currently work is ongoing between both agencies at a borough level through local crime and disorder partnerships and local strategic partnerships, but little co-ordinated strategic level work is presently being progressed. This proposal will offer a structure, to allow us to share our knowledge on policy research and development, our expertise in the partnership arena with a view to providing co-operation at a local level, and opportunities to progress initiatives at a strategic level to benefit the wider communities of London. It will also provide an excellent platform to share good practise and difficulties.

Proposal

This paper will outline the terms of reference, the vision and the structure for the partnership. Already long-term discussions have taken place between the agencies to ensure that any involvement will match our individual expectations with delivery.

The delivery and strategic aims will evolve as the partnership matures, but it will all take place around a formalised and recognised structure (as identified later in this paper) to determine the direction for the partnership and the decision making and implementation processes. This structure for the Metropolitan Police will offer a route and process to inform boroughs with commitment from their local crime and disorder partnerships, particularly from our learning on what does, and does not work.

Terms of reference

The overall objective for the partnership is to establish a strong working relationship between the LVSC, 3rd Sector Alliance and the Metropolitan Police to reduce crime, disorder and the fear of crime by adding value to existing activity. This will be achieved by the delivery of joint events, initiatives and pilot projects with specific objectives agreed by all partners. The partnership will focus on:

• Core themes i.e. youth and diversity issues
• Providing a robust communications strategy for all areas of the partnership.

The LVSC and the 3rd Sector Alliance

The LVSC helps voluntary organisations to understand the complexities of working in London. Voluntary organisations are sometimes the only mouthpiece for marginalised groups, so LVSC works to ensure that the views of such organisations are listened to. In its work, LVSC targets second tier organisations, groups which cannot get help from a second tier organisation of their own, black and minority ethnic groups and other groups that experience discrimination. The LVSC encourages London’s voluntary organisations to work together so that they can share best practise, combine their resources and, most importantly make their contribution to the running of London.

The LVSC influences the development of policies that affect London’s voluntary sector and the people they serve. They have also set up, and support pan-London networks of voluntary organisations such as the London Regeneration Network, and the Voluntary Sector Forum.

The LVSC links closely with the 3rd Sector Alliance, making it one of the largest strategic networks in the capital. The have close links with the Local Government Association and the London Development Agency.

The 3rd Sector Alliance is the regional network of voluntary and community organisations funded by the Home Office. It has a membership of over 150 networks representing for instance the black and minority ethnic groups, children and young people, families, crime and community safety, community groups, disabled people, elders, faith groups, homelessness, planning agencies, refugees, regeneration and environment interests, transport and women.

Effectively the LVSC is the strategic and policy section overseeing the 3rd Sector Alliance.

Structure for the Partnership

The partnership will work from two levels, an executive board and a project board. The project board will oversee the operational theme groups.

The executive board will consist of senior representatives from the Voluntary sector and the police. They will be charged with providing strategic direction to the partnership and to be the accountable body for the partnership.

The central project board will be established, and consist of practitioners from various agencies. Representation will be from the LVSC, 3rd Sector Alliance and the Metropolitan Police representation will be from A/Superintendent Ian Jenkins and Inspector Mark Sheeran. The chair of the central project board will sit on the executive board.

Each joint initiative will have their own project board and operational group. This format is necessary due to the complexities and the structures of the second and third tiers of the voluntary sector. The project boards will determine realistic action plans for the partnership to follow.

The operational groups will nominate a chair and they will report back to the central project board, who’s chair will report back to the executive board.

In the early stages, and in order to manage the expectations of the partnership, the first operational group will focus on youth issues. This will allow us to learn from the processes and structures we have put into place, with a long term aim of ensuring good practise from the partnership is passed on as well as any deliverables that may benefit partnerships across London.

Aims of the Partnership

This structure will reflect the overall aims for the partnership:

• The desire to raise the profile of the partnership.
• The need for effective communication between both partners to increase understanding and raise awareness.
• The need to deliver practical and meaningful initiatives.
• The need to provide long term commitment.
• The need to provide ‘joined up’ thinking around important policy issues and to respond quickly to new developments or changing situations.

Product delivery

The executive board will determine the theme that the partnership will work towards. This theme will be passed to the central project board which will be tasked with identifying suitable voluntary sector agencies to participate. This will be replicated within the Metropolitan Police. The partnership unit PRS5 (2) will facilitate the process internally and identify suitable individuals from internal departments and boroughs who will be able to contribute on the board.

The operational group will convene under the chair of a nominated individual from the central project board and determine the objectives for the group. The group will collectively determine and deliver the requirements from the executive board.

Style for the Partnership

The structure of this Partnership lends itself to the delivery mechanisms of the Voluntary sector, which has consultation as its focus before delivery. This approach will also allow the resources and experience of cross sections of specialist voluntary agencies to be at the table with the Metropolitan Police, consulting on a wide range of deliverables.

Sustainability for the initiative will come from the facilitation role of the Partnership unit. They will look to identify key individuals within the organisation to participate, thus removing the dependency on one unit, but at the same time providing an effective communications link. Effectively this ‘plug in’ process will build in sustainability to the initiative and ensure that the pooled knowledge effect will benefit all.

Communication strategy

The LVSC produces monthly publications for the voluntary sector, called Voluntary Voice. This would provide a cornerstone to getting our message out into the wider communities of London. Their press officers, and DPA will shortly begin work on a joint press strategy for the partnership, which will ensure all work by the partnership is disseminated as widely as possible.

Conclusion

This partnership fits into all areas of policing. It covers; policy, consultation, delivery, and communications to some of the members of the community that the Metropolitan Police most want to involve in the debate on crime reduction and contributing to London.

The LVSC, 3rd Sector Alliance and their affiliated associations are keen to become involved in what they see as a very dynamic partnership with huge potential. Huge efforts have been made in relationship building and development of trust between the two organisations to get to this point. The next stage is one of commitment and delivery, which will benefit the people of London.

Questionnaire for voluntary youth organisations

This questionnaire is designed to find out the current involvement between the Voluntary Sector and the Metropolitan Police. We are keen to know of joint initiatives, outcomes and any tensions. We also would like to know your views on the future direction of the Partnership as well as priorities that they can work towards.

The questions are included below. This questionnaire is also available as a PDF document.

What is the name of your Voluntary Organisation?

Q1. Which Boroughs of London are you most involved with

Q2. Could you please identify areas of good practise that your Organisation is involved in with the Police. (We are keen to know about the initiative and the outcomes)

Q3. This Partnership will be looking at interventions across the Crime and Disorder arena. What would you like the Partnership to focus on?

Q4. How would you assess your current involvement with the Metropolitan Police? (Please circle your response: High, Medium or Low).

Q5. If you would like your views on this Partnership to be considered, and you are not able to attend any consultation meeting, please could you complete your details below, with a phone number, and we will contact you to listen to your views.

Many thanks.

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