PCC Response - Multi-agency responses to serious youth violence: working together to support and protect children
15 January 2025
Dear Home Secretary
I have received and read the report of the Inspection that has been completed by  His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) - Multi-agency responses to serious youth violence: working together to support and protect children.
Preventing and tackling serious crime, and in particular serious youth violence, is something that is extremely important to me as a Police and Crime Commissioner. I am acutely aware of the severity of this issue in Bedfordshire, and of how it is imperative that the right mechanisms are put in place for effective multi-agency working to protect young people. I am committed to holding the Chief Constable to account for the delivery of an excellent police service, in relation not only to its police performance but also to its approach to partnership working in order to protect the public and prevent crime.
By way of increasing my understanding of the existing multi-agency response to all crime including serious youth violence and the barriers that may be in place to improve this, I engage closely with all partners. I meet frequently with public sector leaders and representatives from education, public health, the fire service and others.
I also sit on all the Community Safety Partnership boards in Bedfordshire, and chair the Local Criminal Justice Board, which I am in the process of redeveloping. Encouraged by partners in the wider Bedfordshire system, I am reviewing all partnership arrangements in Bedfordshire including safeguarding boards, for their efficiency and effectiveness.
One of my core objectives as PCC is to create a single virtual MASH or data-sharing hub, or at minimum, a seamless data sharing arrangement that technologically allows all agencies to view (as necessary) and provide safeguarding data. This is core to my police and crime plan and am looking to partners to provide their support on this along with other aims such as significantly increasing the funding of the Violence and Exploitation Reduction Unit.
I note that this publication has no recommendations, but it does document a series of executive summary points. I have received the below from Bedfordshire Police regarding the report and executive summary (italics):
1) The extent and impact of serious youth violence are more far-reaching than many adults realise. Too many children, including some as young as 11, are carrying knives because they feel unsafe and see this as a form of protection. Serious youth violence has a wide impact across communities. In some localities in the areas inspected, carrying a knife is the norm for some children.
Serious Youth Violence remains prevalent within Bedfordshire with approximately 180 subjects per month being either a victim or suspect of violence. The age of individuals subjected or involved in violence has reduced over the last couple of years with the hypotheses being that individuals carry weapons to protect themselves should the need arise. Bedfordshire Police continue to work closely with partner agencies via the MAGPAN and SYVP and colleagues within the Education and Diversion team to educate children of school age that carry a weapon is not safe. Our partnership ‘Just Drop it Campaign’ re-enforces this message - https://bedsveru.org/just-drop-it/.
2) A failure to consistently identify serious youth violence as a safeguarding issue is leaving too many children at serious risk of harm. Lack of comprehensive guidance from the government on how partners should address harm outside the family, including serious youth violence, is exacerbating this, as is a lack of focus by Local Safeguarding Partnerships (LSPs).
Within Bedfordshire Police the analytical team produce a monthly document which provides details of all individuals who have been a victim or suspect of Serious Youth Violence within the preceding 28-day period. Each nominal is then run through a youth violence matrix, provided with a threat score, and RAG status. This information is then used to form the basis of both the MAGPAN and SYVP with the high risk (Red RAG) nominals discussed. From here the chair of each panel will then decide if the nominal accepted onto the panel or not. If so, a lead agency shall then be allocated who is then responsible for arranging a partnership response, with a review taking place in 3 months’ time. Those not accepted by the panel are then monitored monthly to ensure there has been no increase in risk.
It is recognised by the partnership that at present only high-risk nominals are discussed with minimal activity taking place against medium / low risk nominals. A partnership working group is currently underway with a view to understanding what options are available to mitigate this risk with a current thought process being that Police shall own red RAG nominals, YOS amber and the VERU green. This review is owned by North YOS (Verity Gomes).
Outside of this process there is an expectation that partner agencies utilise the multi-Agency submission form to highlight to Police any concerns around individuals from within their area of the business. This information shall then be converted into intelligence (should the criteria be met) which assists Police with identifying those who are at risk of exploitation etc.
3) The government and local agencies must prioritise the needs of children who are disproportionately at risk of harm from serious youth violence. This includes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), in particular those who are neurodivergent. The government should equip local agencies to ensure these children have access to timely assessment and appropriate support. Some children from specific ethnic groups are disproportionately represented among those harmed by serious youth violence. Partnerships need to target interventions to support those most in need, and to better understand and address the underlying causes of serious youth violence.
As above.
4) We found examples of local partnerships doing effective work to reduce harm to children from serious youth violence, but this is not happening in all areas. Despite the expectation set out by the Home Office in the Serious Violence Duty, not all local partnerships are sufficiently focused on serious youth violence. This leaves some children at risk of harm.
Each of the three CPS have Serious Youth Violence as a priority within their annual delivery plans, likewise for Bedfordshire Police, it is within their delivery plan and control strategy. Bedfordshire Police also have the BOSON plan which is now supported by a delivery plan and the force have invested in a dedicated team to tackle the risk posed by urban streety gangs and firearms criminality. Recognising that the drugs trade is more often the catalyst for violence the force has also invested in drugs focus desk which aims to identify and deal with the highest risk drug dealers at the point of arrest.
5) Multi-agency work was most effective when serious youth violence was a strategic priority. Effective partnerships had a shared understanding of local need. They collated and analysed all relevant information, and consulted with children, families and communities about their experiences and needs. This resulted in effective work to reduce harm and meet children’s needs.
As above.
6) In some areas, partners worked together well to meet the wider needs of children affected by serious youth violence. They had a shared understanding of the children’s backgrounds and experiences, including trauma and abuse. Effective initiatives focused on addressing the impact of abuse, supporting children to access education, giving children opportunities to develop interests and skills and helping them to stay safe.
As per the answer to point 2 it is recognised that demand far outweighs the third sector agencies availability to deal with this demand. Historically, there has been issues with the VERU attending the MAGPAN / SYVP who were the conduit for referrals into the VERU however this has now been resolved with regular attendance. It is worth noting that the only route into the VERU is via the MAGPAN / SYVP and therefore police are not able to directly refer.
It is worth noting that Crest advisory has been commissioned to review and refresh the Bedfordshire Serious Violence and Exploitation strategy for the whole partnership. The Violence and Exploitation Reduction Unit (VERU) will oversee the refresh; however, the strategy will acknowledge the work of all partners, set out a shared vision for partnership working, and will be drafted in line with the Serious Violence Duty/national policy context.
7) Local partnerships need to do more to evaluate approaches to addressing serious youth violence, to use available research about what works and to share learning across areas to drive improvement in practice.
As above, both the Crest advisory review and the review of the MAGPAN / SYVP process will identify areas for improvement.
8) Children’s access to support to address serious youth violence varies too much between local areas. Some areas have violence reduction units (VRUs), and some VRUs were making a positive difference for children. But not all areas have this additional resource.
Bedfordshire has a dedicated VERU unit with a review currently taking place to identify areas for improvement - https://bedsveru.org/.
9) Projects aimed at preventing serious youth violence often receive short-term funding. This limits partners’ ability to evaluate their effectiveness and compromises long-term planning.
The VERU Strategy, follows on from the Strategic Needs Analysis, this was updated last year, and therefore due a refresh. This, along with the SNA, is fulfilling a dual requirement for the VERU but also the associated authorities under the SVD, responsible for producing an SNA and Strategy. The VERU are in the very early stages of working with the SVD partners to review.
In relation to access to the data, our DIGVERB (Data and Intelligence Group on Violence and Exploitation Reduction in Bedfordshire) creates a function for data sharing and implementation across partners. The DIGVERB has three pillars which act as its key priorities:
1) Violence and Exploitation (VandE);
2) Serious Violence Duty (SVD); and
3) Drugs and Alcohol (DandA).
There is a DIGVERB Data Sharing Agreement (DSA) in place with all agencies represented in DIGVERB (Force, Local Authorities, Public Health, CSPs, HMPPS). This has enabled sharing of data by various agencies in the past to aid such work as the SNA and a previous child exploitation needs assessment. A separate Information Sharing Agreement (ISA) for AandE data (with local NHS Hospital Trust) and ambulance data (with the Ambulance Trust) was implemented last year.
The DIGVERB works to use data and intelligence to achieve a shared understanding of current local issues on – and related to – violence and exploitation, opportunities to implement interventions and evaluate their impact. It aims to collaborate with partners to create a Common Recognised Information Picture (CRIP) which can be used to mobilise effective preventative and operational interventions – such as any Focussed Deterrence Programme.
10) Engagement with the community, children and parents is essential. We saw some strong practice where partnerships worked to reduce harm and build stronger community support for children. We found that the risk of serious youth violence is reduced when statutory partners and the education and voluntary sectors work together to maximise impact by building trust with local communities to identify needs and appropriately support those working within them.
An educational representative is present at both the MAGPAN / SYVP and our partnership OCG and CL Partnership Board.
Central Bedfordshire has become the first local authority in the country to have all its schools registered with Pol-Ed, thanks to the dedicated efforts of the Education and Diversion team. Pol-Ed is an education programme which aims to teach students about safety, risks and consequences, and the law. Originally developed by West Yorkshire Police, the programme is designed to build children’s resilience and their ability to support each other. It provides comprehensive lesson plans and schemes of work for all key stages, which teachers can deliver to their students. It also has resources for officers to use when delivering inputs in assemblies and other sessions. The initiative helps to alleviate some of the pressure on forces, with a police dashboard available to monitor lesson delivery and identify potential early issues. Since gaining access to Pol-Ed six months ago, the Education and Diversion team has worked tirelessly to engage with schools across Bedfordshire and encourage uptake of the programme. Their efforts have paid off, as Central Bedfordshire is now the first local authority to achieve 100 percent school registration.
Ensuring that young people are aware of potential risks, issues, and how to keep themselves safe is vital in preventing them from becoming victims, or indeed perpetrators, of crime. Almost 300 schools across Bedfordshire have now registered for Pol-Ed, with over 1,000 teachers signed up. This previous academic term saw over 18,000 students receive a Pol-Ed input, and since its launch resources have been used by almost 40,000 students, with online safety coming out as the top police input so far. A virtual Pol-Ed conference was recently held with schools to increase usage and new resources for early years have been launched. Pol-Ed also offers educational inputs that police personnel can use along with different style inputs which can be utilised when undertaking 1-2-1 diversion work.
Bedfordshire’s Violence and Exploitation Reduction Unit (VERU) sits within my office as PCC. I have requested an update from the Head of the VERU on this subject and have received the following update:
The Home Office have updated on plans to issue refreshed Serious Violence Duty (SVD) guidance. A recent communication confirmed that the SVD is the most suitable short-term mechanism for informing local areas that they should establish Prevention Partnerships and an update of the Serious Violence Duty statutory guidance will be issued by March 2025.
The existing ‘collaboration’ set out in the Duty should be formalised through the creation of a permanent Prevention Partnerships at local authority level but in line with the Duty, there would be flexibility for local areas, at least initially, to decide how they would best do this.
Alongside their existing duties, these partnerships would take on responsibility for ensuring that the local area has mapped its existing youth provision, violence hotspots, and their ‘at risk’ cohort.
In line with the change in operating model for 2024/25, the VERU set up a suite of new interventions, aimed at responding to the findings and recommendations contained within our Strategic Needs Assessment (SNA). This year sees the largest amount of VERU funding allocated to the rollout of these programmes, as well as supporting our statutory partners in their work to prevent serious violence and exploitation.
All 24/25 programmes are achieving well against their KPIs (number of referrals, number of young people engaged in the intervention, improvement in school attendance, improved engagement in ETE, reduction in risk taking behaviour, reduction in frequency of contact with the Police etc).
Q2 data indicates the total reach to date as follow;
AandE Navigators Scheme – 44
Custody Navigators Scheme – 92
Schools Navigators Scheme – 55
Social Skills Training Programme– 346
Sports and Inclusion Programme – 300
Tackling, Reducing and Ending Exploitation (TREE) projects – combined total of 3332
Triage and Diversion Schemes – 390
Trauma Specific Therapy Programme – 54
In addition, the VERU has this month seen the successful rollout of our Bedfordshire Bleed Kit project. This involves Bleed Kits being distributed to known hotspot locations across the whole county and training being provided to professionals, members of the public, young people on how to use these kits. This project will form part of the activation of our Just Drop It, anti-knife campaign, taking it from its current media form to an education programme aimed at educating the public, namely young people, on the impact of knife crime.
To support the delivery of the Just Drop It education programme the VERU will be introducing Virtual Reality (VR) headsets, jointly funded by Bedfordshire Police Force. The VR headsets will help to deliver an education package to schools by the Education and Diversion team, around county lines, knives and exploitation. This includes the production of a short film, unique to Bedfordshire, which gives young people a first-hand view on the consequences of them becoming involved in drugs and violence.
Currently, the team are working closely with the police force and local authority colleagues to support a review the operating model of Bedford Borough and Central Bedfordshire’s Serious Youth Violence Panel (SYVP) to ensure the multi-agency panel continues to operate in the most effective and efficient way.
Arising from this work is an action to explore a split into a 2-tier system, to support the volume of referrals coming into SYVP and ensure both meetings are targeted in their approach.
As a result, the development of a Focused Deterrence Programme acting as the ‘top’ tier is now being explored. Focused Deterrence has shown significant impact in reducing serious violence in other areas by strategically deterring individuals at high risk of engaging in criminality through targeted support and swift enforcement. It is an intervention eligible for VRU funding and graded as ‘high impact’ on the YEF toolkit.
Further work is required to determine suitability of this programme at this stage and is ongoing with the Police force and partners.
The Centre for Crime Justice and Policing at the University of Birmingham have been commissioned to undertake an impact evaluation of the VERU 24/25 Navigators Schemes. These types of interventions are becoming increasingly recognised across the VRU network nationally. The aim is therefore to have a robust evaluation of our interventions on a local level, to aid learning, development moving into future rounds of funding.
In addition, they will further carry out an in-depth analytical understanding of the entire VERU at a local level. This will require a review at a strategic level to understand how integrated services planned and delivered in the local area are being delivered. Additionally, it will enable to understand how the capacity and capability of the VERU have developed over time.
I have also recently launched seven strategic mission boards, aimed at improving multi-agency response to the prevention and tackling of serious youth violence, violence against women and children, protecting of victims and support of victims within the criminal justice system. These are comprised of members from the police service, local authorities and victims’ groups, will be able to ensure that these recommendations, and the key objectives within the Police and Crime Plan, are implemented effectively.
These mission boards, along with the newly strengthened performance and governance arrangements that are in place for me to hold the Chief Constable to account, allow me to understand and monitor the effectiveness of Bedfordshire Police’s multiagency response to serious youth violence and other crime types. I also believe that the new HMICFRS PEEL inspections should assess police service multiagency working, both strategic and operational, which will allow continuity of this assessment and accountability in future.
Yours Sincerely
John Tizard
Police and Crime Commissioner