MPA scrutiny: ‘Young people and the MPS’ - Terms of Reference

Report: 7
Date: 25 October 2007
By: the Chief Executive

Summary

This report presents for members’ approval the proposed terms of reference for the forthcoming MPA scrutiny: ‘Young people and the MPS’.

A. Recommendations

That members approve the proposed terms of reference for the forthcoming MPA scrutiny: ‘Young people and the MPS’

B. Supporting information

1. The Co-ordination and Policing Committee agreed at its meeting on 7 June 2007 that the MPA should conduct a scrutiny into ‘Young people and the MPS’. A draft terms of reference has been discussed with the Member panel and the objectives (as per para 5 below) have been agreed)

2. The focus of this scrutiny will be the causes, effects and impacts of young people’s involvement in crime as victims, witnesses and perpetrators and how this influences their interactions and relationships with the MPS.

3. The scrutiny will consider the opportunities available to the MPS further to embed itself within youth provision and youth crime prevention activities in London, and to build and maintain effective partnerships with agencies working in this field, across statutory, voluntary and private sectors. Robust, well-managed, outcome-driven, accountable partnerships, where services are delivered by those best qualified to deliver them, can do much to support victims, witnesses, perpetrators, and the wider community.

4. Consideration will be given to any projects operating at borough and regional levels which successfully address the interaction between young people and the police service. The scrutiny will identify best practice and draw together recommendations for expansion and replication of work where appropriate, analysing what works with different groups, communities and localities.

5. The objectives of this short and intensive scrutiny, focusing particularly on direct engagement and consultation with young people themselves, to add significant value to the work of the MPS and partners with young people by:

• Identifying ways to reduce young people’s involvement in crime as victims, witnesses and perpetrators
• Identify ways of improving the confidence of young people to report crime and engage with the police as witnesses
• Identifying ways to halt the decline in age of young victims of crime
• Identifying ways to halt the decline in age of young perpetrators of crime
• Identifying ways to address the criminalisation of young people in public discourse
• Identifying ways to improve MPS strategy, policy and corporacy with regard to young people
• Identifying the resources allocated to this area of work by the MPS and undertaking an analysis of how they are utilised
• Identifying ways to improve the MPS’s involvement in partnership work with young people
• Identifying good practice in MPS youth engagement for dissemination

6. The scrutiny panel for this scrutiny will be:

• Richard Sumray (MPA Member) [Chair]
• Cindy Butts (MPA Member)
• Richard Barnes (MPA Member)
• Elizabeth Howlett (MPA Member)
• Faith Boardman (MPA Member)
• Camila Batmanghelidjh (Director, Kids Company)
• The Chair of the reference group (young person)
• The Vice-Chair of the reference group (young person)
• Rose Fitzpatrick (MPS DAC TP) as an observer and advisor.

This group will be supported by a reference group of young people who will act as a sounding board to the panel.

7. The most fundamental component of this scrutiny will be engagement with and participation by young people themselves in the scrutiny process. In the light of this, the scrutiny’s methodology will include:

• Literature review
• Identification and mapping of organisations’ roles and responsibilities
• Statistical research and analysis
• Consultation with police and key partners including the voluntary sector
• Focus group with youth workers
• Extensive consultation with young people including an online survey, focus groups and visits to youth facilities.

8. A written report, with recommendations will be presented to Full Authority for endorsement in April 2008.

C. Race and equality impact

1. In undertaking this scrutiny the MPA recognises the wide diversity within London’s youth population. There is also an awareness that policing policy and practice can impact disproportionately on particular sections of the youth population, and that to date both the MPS and the MPA have failed adequately to engage with some sections of London’s youth population.

2. The scrutiny team has, with support from the MPA Equality and Diversity unit, considered the equality and diversity issues that may be raised during this review and this will be used to steer our investigations accordingly.

3. The scrutiny will be guided and supported by a reference group of young people and shaped and directed by the scrutiny panel. The membership of the reference group will reflect the wide diversity of London’s youth population. An important task for both groups will be to ensure that proposed consultation methods are accessible and that they meet the requirements of our equality and diversity policies.

D. Financial implications

Staffing and financial resources to deliver this scrutiny have been identified within the existing MPA Oversight & Review Unit personnel and budget allocations.

E. Background papers

• MPA (7 June 2007) ‘MPA Scrutiny Programme’, Co-ordination and Policing Committee, London, MPA.
• MPA (27 September 2007) ‘MPA Scrutiny - Young People And The MPS, London MPA

F. Contact details

Report authors: Andy Hull and Hamera Asfa Davey, MPA Oversight & Review Unit.

For information contact:

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

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