Agenda item

Update on Serious Youth Crime Reduction Plan – North Central London CCG

Ms McElligott presented her slides.

Supporting Families Programme (Families First)

Barnet achieved 100% turnaround in the lives of the 372 families allocated to it during 2020/21. Funding beyond March 2022 for the Supporting Families Programme has not yet been confirmed, but agencies continued to develop their partnership work through seconded posts from Job Centre Plus, RISE mutual domestic abuse services, Substance Misuse and Health Services and others. A probation secondee is no longer in post due to the impact of the National Probation Service (NPS) reorganisation but a housing secondee post has been created to help to prevent homelessness.

Youth Offending & Reducing Re-Offending

Ms McElligott reported that at June 2021 74 young people are open to the Youth Offending Team (YOT) and 16 are open to the 0-19 Early Help Services. Barnet has a lower average number of First Time Entrants into the Youth Justice System compared to national and London, partly due to effective diversion and prevention schemes. Barnet’s Out of Court Disposal (OOCD) processes have been recognised as good practice and shared with the Youth Justice Board for wider dissemination.

Barnet’s reoffending rate stands at 32%, which is lower than the national average.

Child Exploitation, Serious Youth & Adult Violence

Barnet’s Vulnerable Adolescents Strategy 2020-22 is developed and monitored by the Vulnerable Adolescent Community Partnership statutory partners, stakeholders and voluntary sector providers. A variety of approaches have been delivered via grants in partnership with the voluntary sector.

Mr Booth enquired whether there were any data on young people with disabilities, particularly autism, and links with exploitation. Ms McElligott responded that such information is recorded and disproportionate numbers of young people with ADHD, conduct disorders and neurodevelopmental disorders were more often found to be at risk. It was known that young people with Special Educational Needs (SEN), some who have autistic traits, in the youth offending system are typically diagnosed far too late. She noted that she did not have specific data at the meeting but could collate this – Mr Cezar Tan, Youth Justice Service Manager, in her team is the best point of contact. 

Action: Ms McElligott/Mr Tan

Ms Bateman reported that the Autism Strategy, which contained a funding offer that might be useful for Barnet, had recently been published. She also enquired what could be learnt on reoffending rates in young people, to improve this in the adult population.

Ms McElligott noted that there is no prevention service in place for 18+ young adults but was looking to develop this as an arm of the Integrated Offender Management offer. She would invite the Safeguarding Adults Board to be represented on this group.

Action: Ms McElligott

Mr Leng reported that the Metropolitan Police has an intervention scheme - there had been a review of all the Criminal Behaviour Orders that had been issued over the past two years; very few had been issued to young people. Other interventions were often found through the Youth Justice System.

Ms McElligott commented that many of this cohort are victims of exploitation, such as county lines. The Vulnerable Adolescents at Risk Panel and Serious Incident Response Meetings help coordinate multi-agency responses. Almost half the young people involved in offending have school attendance issues.  Ms McElligot noted that there are several local interventions currently working with vulnerable groups of adolescents.

Domestic Abuse (DA) and Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG)

Ms McElligott reported that DA and VAWG services transferred to Barnet Family Services from Community Safety in May 2021. Delivery is co-located within the Children’s Social Care, Assessment Intervention and Planning Service with the aim of ensuring a strong focus on safeguarding and disrupting cycles of abuse.

Ms McElligott reported that the data in her report reveals fewer DA offences than incidents; the conviction rate, arrest or reports of crimes is 7.6 per 1000 population, which is the second lowest all 32 London Boroughs; it is unclear whether this was due to lower reporting in Barnet. In Child Protection Services there is a high prevalence of DA, including 782 DA violence with injury offences, and 118 suspects  identified and proceeded against by police. The Sanction Detection Rate had increased to 14.9% from 13.3% the previous year but remains relatively low.

Over the last 12 months the Barnet DA Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC) had received 477 referrals of high-risk cases of DA against 363 the previous year. At the start of the pandemic there had been an increase in the number of presentations to the One Stop Shop, with a gradual reduction since this period. However there had not been an increase in the number of referrals. This would be monitored and reported back to the board as more data becomes available. 

Ms McElligott noted that the RISE Perpetrator Programme has effective engagement. A new Strategy would be developed following consultation which is likely to include this programme. 

Ms Dumont-Barter enquired how far communities and families are involved in the approach to tackle DA. In the London Borough of Wandsworth this had been found to be important, via education. Ms McElligott responded that the Early Help Service is a place-based provision with three community hubs. In addition, several outreach projects are in place in Barnet and a pilot parent/carer champion programme delivered in 2020 by Khulisa had recruited 16 parent champions.  There had been a special focus on racially minoritized communities with children at risk of exploitation. Ms McElligott added that her team is training the champions on Empowering Parents/Empowering Communities courses and will be supporting them to train this cohort to take up advocacy support for other parents in schools. 

Ms McElligot reported that there had been an increase in presentations to the One Stop Shop at the start of the pandemic but this had been slowly reducing over time but further data is to follow.

Ms Bateman asked whether there is a representative from Adult Social Care on the MARAC (Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conference). Mr Leng responded that there should be a representative at the DA MARAC and Mental Health MARAC and they have consistent involvement in supporting those processes. Mr Leng would forward their contact details to Ms Bateman.

Action: Mr Leng

Serious Youth Crime Reduction Plan Update – North Central London Clinical Commissioning Group (NCL CCG)

Dr Djuretic presented slides provided by NHS NCL CCG on a Violence Reduction funding opportunity for London using a public health approach.

Funding is available to develop a model of care which provides psychological support in the community for those impacted or at risk of violence. This is underpinned by the Framework for Integrated Care which has been developed by NHS England and Improvement. A stakeholder event would be held on 28^th July 2021, 11-12.30 hrs. The Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health Trust would welcome feedback on their proposals from the Board.

Action: All