Youth consultation and engagement

Report: 7
Date: 25 June 2003
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 between the young people in schools and the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS).

A. Recommendation

That members note the intention to strengthen the way in which youth consultation and engagement is conducted. This is in variance of the previous paper involving the partnership with the London Voluntary Services Council (LVSC) dated 5 December 2002. Consultation will now involve officers working in the school environment and involvement with the Independent Advisory Group (IAG) on youth.

B. Supporting information

1. The purpose of this report is to provide members with an outline for both the consultation route and the consultation method itself.

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.

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. Borough consultation activities continue to inform crime and disorder strategies, and there is central involvement in partnership with the Greater London Authority (GLA) and Government Office for London (GOL).

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 consultation pack at Appendix 1 (draft) proposes a methodology for consultation, with champions and timescales identified.

6. The MPS view the partnership with schools across London and the IAG 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. Presently there are 65 officers working in 76 secondary schools. These officers have been in the schools since September 2002 and have significantly enhanced the reputation of the Metropolitan Police within the schools environment. Now that this confidence has been nurtured, the opportunity has presented itself, working with the head teachers to engage young people in the 11-16 year age band in the consultation process.

9. This process is the first step towards a more comprehensive consultation process. The opportunities presented by the LVSC are still available to access, as are wider schools involvement, working with agencies with links to the most marginalized young people.

10. The consultation process was discussed and agreed at the last Strategic Committee on Youth, Community Safety and Partnership. MPA representation on this committee is through Mr Abdul Ullah.

C. Equality and diversity implications

This consultation involves young people of school age from all communities in a school environment. The consultation will look to cover the eight GLA priority groups on consultation.

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, MPA.

For more information contact:

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

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